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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26852986">Strictly Business</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceAdoxography/pseuds/aceAdoxography'>aceAdoxography</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/carnivorousBelvedere/pseuds/carnivorousBelvedere'>carnivorousBelvedere</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Homestuck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Internalized Homophobia, Internalized Omegaphobia, M/M, Pheromones, Rival Business</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:55:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>36,595</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26852986</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceAdoxography/pseuds/aceAdoxography, https://archiveofourown.org/users/carnivorousBelvedere/pseuds/carnivorousBelvedere</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternia Biotech CEO Karkat Vantas is a long time single alpha who doesn’t care for romance, or at least tells himself so. </p><p>Dave Strider, representative under Bro Strider of Strider Tech, hides that he’s an omega and also hates pretty much every alpha he’s ever met.</p><p>Every thing changes when a meeting between these two business rivals proves they have an undeniable connection…. The big problem is Dave won’t admit it’s even there between them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>179</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><i>God, I hope they have coffee,</i> Dave thinks as he waits in the middle of the massive building lobby. </p><p>His name tag reads his purpose being there: DAVE STRIDER, STRIDER TECH, VISITOR. </p><p>All words revealing that he is the intruder on enemy grounds. </p><p>Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic, but there’s a reason he’s waiting around in a stuffy suit alongside Bro’s favorite of their company lawyers. </p><p>Any other year before this, there would have been no reason for Dave to be here visiting the headquarters of Alternia Biotech. </p><p>Strider Tech was a medical hardware company. They made everything from fully integrated operating room tech and robots all the way to the plates that replace arthritic knees. </p><p>But even after decimating their competitor in the industry, Bro hadn’t been satisfied with becoming a leader in that field in what had been a relatively short matter of years. Oh no, he had to go and stick his finger in the biotech pie. </p><p>So here Dave was, trying to ward off a patent dispute lawsuit over a grafting agent. If he could come to an agreement with the CEO of Alternia, they’d be fine. However, Dave doubted that would be the case. </p><p>Dave didn’t know much about the guy, other than that he at least agreed to this meeting. Probably an alpha, and by default a complete asshole. Dave is not excited to meet him. Still, he should have done more research, but it doesn’t really matter. He’ll do what he’s meant to do. It wouldn’t be the first time Bro had sent him to do something or other with a competitor, the intention being Dave take a little extra somethin-somethin by whatever means necessary. </p><p>Ugh, Dave doesn’t want to think about that right now. Hopefully it won’t come to that. </p><p>It’s just… It’s funny that as the tower gets taller, it gets harder for all the people below to see what actually goes on up top. </p><p>Dave adjusts his cuffs one more time and reassess himself. He’s put together, washed with top of the line scent blocking wash, and thanks to years of enduring being around Bro he’s got the tightest handle on scent releasing one can have. He does have Bro to thank for that. </p><p>At first look, one might think Dave was a beta. It was easy enough for Dave to masquerade as one around Bro for a little while, but he couldn’t keep it up forever. </p><p>It’s not that omega’s couldn’t be in charge, but that wasn’t how Dave was raised. Bro’s rather traditionalist values made him popular with conservative Southern shareholders where they were based in Houston. </p><p>Not that Dave gave a shit about any of that. Bro was right, of course. He had to be, how else would he have gotten this far? Dave’s place in the grand scheme of things was clear. </p><p>For now it’s only five more minutes before the meeting is about to start. Someone is supposed to come down and retrieve them to be brought up to wherever in this place the meeting is supposed to occur. </p><p>Dave regards the tight ball of anxiety in his chest and the way his heart is suddenly racing, and thinks that maybe he doesn’t actually need any more coffee on top of that. </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat Vantas paces in front of a large set of windows, slamming back the last of his coffee and throwing the cup in the trash. He grits his teeth and takes several deep breaths.</p><p>He’s currently in one of their many meeting rooms, waiting for one Dave Strider to hurry his ass up. The only reason Karkat agreed to this in the first place was so he could get the chance to tell his competitors to fuck off and stick to their own shit face-to-face. And maybe the fact that Sollux flat out refused to get involved despite being a co-owner of the company put him in a wrathful mood, but that’s neither here nor there.</p><p>In general, Karkat respects Strider Tech. They do good work. His friend Tavros even has a pair of legs from them and has no complaints about them beyond the exorbitant price tag, even with insurance covering a good portion of it. </p><p>The Striders weren’t happy making bank off of their usual fare, however. Oh no. They had to go and stick their fucking noses into the biotech industry. Currently they’re after a patent for a grafting agent. But Karkat didn’t spend the past ten years expanding this business to fold to the first dumbass who waltzed in wanting to steal their work out from under them.</p><p>So here he stands, in a custom tailored suit in front of an excessive amount of windows, scowl firmly in place as his lawyer and assistant chat over morning muffins and coffee. Karkat straightens his tie, checks his watch, and grits his teeth as the door opens and in walks Strider the younger, flanked by a lawyer. The intern who brought them up gives a bright smile and wave before taking off. Karkat sighs.</p><p>Here we fucking go.</p><p>Strider is attractive, Karkat will give him that. He’s tall and lithe, and his suit accentuates that. He’s wearing douchey shades and has a douchier haircut, though. Karkat’s nostrils flare, taking in Terezi’s alpha scent and Nepeta’s omega one. The lawyer with Strider is an alpha, but he gets nothing from Strider himself. No alpha sharpness or calming beta scent, no omega sweetness. He doesn’t even get a hint of what Strider is feeling.</p><p>Scent blockers? Interesting.</p><p>“Mr. Strider,” Karkat says, giving him a nod. “Have a seat.”</p><p>-</p><p>Dave is led up in the shiny, spotless elevator up to a nearly top level floor. The person who came to accompany them was actually an intern, and an omega. </p><p>There’s no way Bro would have allowed free revealing of subtype fly over at Strider Tech like this. Or least among his higher up executives to say the least, gotta keep some o types around so the media scrutiny doesn’t come raining down from overhead. So far Bro had managed to avoid it, but it had become clear to Dave that the way he ran his company was far different than how others did. But how could Dave argue, when Bro had so clearly been successful? </p><p>He walks into the meeting room and his eyes immediately land on the CEO. It would be impossible not to, Karkat Vantas is tall, intimidating, and clearly pissed the fuck off. He can’t deny the streak of angry alpha territoriality that lingers in the air. Great. That doesn’t bode well for Dave, who really is just the messenger here. Well, not exactly. He’s still Strider company representative and chairman. Dave already can’t wait for this meeting to be over. </p><p>“Mr. Vantas,” he greets with a nod. </p><p>So it’s right to business, then. No handshakes or anything. That’s fine with Dave, the less bullshit the better. Both of them know why they are really there and can cut the extra shit out, and Dave appreciates being on the same page as him in regards to that. </p><p>He takes the seat as directed, the lawyer taking the chair beside him and beginning to pull out various documents important to the dispute. Dave is mostly here to observe and report back, the lawyer is expected to take charge on the actual legal issues. Thank fuck for that, because if this issue falls through and goes to court it lands on the lawyer and not Dave. </p><p>“Any opening statements before we proceed? Unless I am incorrect, each individual in this room has signed a non-disclosure agreement, and anything said pre-litigation will be kept off record.” He regards the Alternia lawyer with that statement. </p><p>The reprieve from talking gives Dave further time to appraise Vantas. Under the suit he looks like he’s all tension. By default his expression is what Dave would label as ‘upset’. This might be the most angry looking alpha he’s ever sat down at a meeting with. </p><p>He can already sense everything going to shit. In a few minutes the air will be filled even more strongly with alpha pheromones, but not Dave. He will stay cool, calm, collected and controlled, even if everyone else in the room flips their lid twice over. </p><p>“No opening discussion,” Dave answers as he was instructed by Bro. “Our request was clear per the letter Alternia Biotech received last week.” </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat remains standing as Strider and his lawyer sit. This meeting will be quick. </p><p>“No opening discussion from our side either,” Terezi says, smiling her terrifying smile. Karkat usually sits back and lets her handle this shit because she’s ruthless and cut throat and one of the most impressive people he knows. “As you know, your request was denied outright and this meeting was permitted to discuss possible negotiations.”</p><p>Karkat raises an eyebrow, gaze sweeping over Strider. He appears at once relaxed and tense as fuck. His voice is smooth and flat, like he’s reciting something he memorized. There’s something there that makes Karkat’s scowl deepen. Even closer up, Karkat can’t get a read on his scent and it throws him off.</p><p>“So does Strider Tech have anything to negotiate <i>with</i>?” Karkat demands. “Because otherwise you can eat shit and get out.”</p><p>He can feel Terezi roll her eyes behind her glasses.</p><p>“What my associate means,” she corrects pointedly, “is that we’re ready to hear your pitch.”</p><p>That’s not what Karkat meant. What Karkat meant was <i>eat shit and get out</i>, but he grunts in a way that could be misread as approval if you didn’t read too much into it.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave rolls his eyes behind his shades. Typical alpha aggression, and right out the gate too. </p><p>He keeps a disinterested gaze on Vantas as the Strider Tech lawyer begins to speak. He’s got a real presence, but of course Dave doesn’t find anything about him attractive. He’s only watching him because it’s the smart thing to do in this situation. Dave should at least be aware of him and his reactions, in case he has to find alternate methods of getting Strider Tech, and more importantly, Bro what he wants from the CEO. </p><p>He really hopes it doesn’t come to that. </p><p>“Last year, Strider Tech labs began developing a grafting agent. You may ask why that was so, as yes, Strider Tech is primarily a hardware and robotics company. The answer is simple: the agent we developed was compatible with one of our robotic surgical systems. However, following post production analysis it was revealed that our graft structure was similar to that made by Alternia Bio, with some key differences that should be recognized….” </p><p>The lawyer drones on for a little bit and Dave actually tunes it out. How’s he going to play this one? How is he going to get Vantas to calm down? The asshole won’t even sit. As the meeting continues he seems to get even more agitated, like he’s going to start pacing the room along the windows. Working with this guy is going to be not only impossible but also downright fucking miserable. </p><p>Here’s to hoping this is the only meeting they have to have over this issue. </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat wishes Sollux was here. Strider’s lawyer has a grating voice and he feels his desire to snap at them growing greater with every word. Sollux has the better grasp of the technical shit they do here, which is why he fucked off for this meeting, probably. He prefers working in the labs. Asshole.</p><p>Terezi is there to rip into the lawyer’s argument, at least. Nepeta sees him grinding his teeth and pushes a cup of water into his hand. It’s either accept it or let it fall to the ground, so Karkat grabs it and takes a sip.</p><p>Strider’s face is still empty, just like his scent. Where emotion should be there’s just a brick fucking wall. He looks bored as shit, honestly, and that gets on Karkat’s fucking nerves. Why the fuck is he even here?</p><p>The opposing lawyer is getting pretty fucking testy, just going from the look on his face, so Karkat can take solace in that, at least. If they had anything they thought would work in a court case for this they wouldn’t be having this fucking meeting in the first place, so Alternia--and Karkat--has the upperhand here.</p><p>“In conclusion,” Karkat says after Terezi stops talking. “You’re not getting your fucking hands on the patent and I haven’t heard anything that would even make me think about changing my fucking mind on this.”</p><p>He says this to Strider specifically, ignoring the lawyer, who will probably take offense. Good. Fuck him and fuck Strider Tech and fuck Dave Strider specifically.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave can’t help it, he sits back in the chair and sighs heavily. He honestly could care less about this venture completely failing. </p><p>The Strider Tech lawyer clears his throat. He definitely seems to be getting frustrated. Dave smells a spike of irritation from him. </p><p>Amatuer. Bro could probably do better, and he said this guy was the best.</p><p>“Very well. I believe any other discussion, should the goal still be avoiding further litigation, should be in the company of our respective scientific advisors,” the lawyer continues.</p><p>Great. Fucking great. Even after this whole meeting so far they still have to have another one. </p><p>That means seeing this Vantas asshole again, with a guaranteed 2x pissyness combo. Maybe even exponential multiplier. </p><p>“I advise we meet again in a week’s time. Any objections?”</p><p>Dave sure as hell has objections but he isn’t going to say so. </p><p>He’s gonna have to go home and actually research Vantas now. He doubts whatever he will find will actually be helpful.</p><p>One doesn’t just <i>ride</i> a bucking bronco like that. </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat sneers. A week isn’t going to change anything and Karkat has a busy fucking schedule making sure things around here don’t go to shit, but before he can say so Terezi is standing up and sticking her hand out for Strider’s lawyer to shake.</p><p>“Be sure to set up a time at the desk,” she says, pointedly pleasant. Karkat hides a snicker in his cup of water.</p><p>He steps closer to the table, offering his hand to Strider because Karkat’s an asshole but he can be <i>polite</i>, when he has to be, and meetings end in handshakes. It’s the way of the world. It’s dumb as fuck, but there you have it.</p><p>If Strider pulls some douchey move and ignores his hand, however, Karkat might throw his bony, disinterested ass out the window.</p><p>-</p><p>Yeah, sure, they can condescend all they want but at the end of the day they still have to have these meetings. Both of them stand to lose a lot if they don’t go through with this. </p><p>Vantas actually approaches, presumably to shake his hand. Dave stands to meet him with his expression placid as a quiet lake. </p><p><i>What a fucking asshole</i>, Dave thinks one more time right before their hands clasp into a firm shake. </p><p>It is only a second, maybe less, that their skin is touching, but Dave is hit with something he’s never felt in his life. It feels like the floor has been pulled out from under him, his stomach plummeting through every level of the building to smash on the ground below. </p><p>Everything around him fades out, even the bright late morning light shining through the windows. Nothing matters, not the other people in the room, not the uncomfortable suit he’s wearing, not the low level of fear he’s felt ever since Bro told him he had to go to this meeting. </p><p>Nothing matters except the person, the alpha standing in front of him. </p><p>It makes no sense the way all of Dave’s consciousness suddenly centers on Vantas. A magnetic force is winding its way through Dave’s body and tugging toward him. It’s so strong Dave feels as if it will bring him to his knees. He can’t fight it as it envelopes his entire body and <i>pull</i>.</p><p>It’s as if it’s speaking to him, whispering to him that this stranger is <i>safe</i> and <i>mine</i> and…. <i>home</i>. Those words and all the meaning they carry bury into his soul with irrefutable truth. </p><p>He knows it now as if it were the back of his hand: this man means everything to him. </p><p>This man is his everything. </p><p>The shock crosses over Dave’s face and his jaw slackens. It happens so fast, maybe within the time of a second. </p><p>Then it all comes rushing back and the sound of everything in the room around him is blaring before it normalizes. He drops Vantas’s hand like it burned him and steps away. His brows have risen over his shades and he can’t control the shock over his face. He lost control in other ways too-- he knows he lost hold of his own omega pheromones for the single moment, but a moment is still too long to show such weakness.</p><p>Still….. What the fuck was that?</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>The moment Strider’s hand touches Karkat’s he Knows. He knows with every inch of him that this man is The One. Everything falls away and it’s just him and Karkat, time stopped, as Strider’s face goes slack with shock--the first expression Karkat’s seen on him thus far.</p><p>Karkat gave up on dating and romance a long time ago, figuring he was meant to be alone. But this--this is special. This is the thing he used to read about, the thing he yearned for his whole adolescent and young adult life. This is <i>right</i> and <i>true</i> and <i>mine</i>.</p><p>In the midst of this realization--that he and Strider (Dave?) are meant for each other, literally made to be together--he’s hit by a scent that makes his mouth water. It’s fucking delicious; heady and intoxicating and sweet, and if this is what Strider (Dave) smells like then it’s no wonder he wears scent blockers.</p><p>Under that wonderful, addicting smell, however, is something bitter. Something that smells like fear.</p><p>The scent is gone as quickly as the touch, with Strider (Dave!) taking a step back, his face paling. He looks like the rug was pulled out from under him and something in Karkat rises up and demands that he protect his omega.</p><p>But he pushes that shit down fast. Dave isn’t his.</p><p>Yet.</p><p>“Pleasure meeting you,” he says, calmer than he’s been this entire time.</p><p>-</p><p>As more of his physical awareness sets back in, Dave becomes discreetly aware of more sensory input that wasn’t there before. More specifically, the scent of Vantas and his alpha pheromones are intensely filling his nostrils. It smells… really indescribably good. Like a balm for his brain, a specific constellation of scents that were tailor made to comfort him. </p><p>Dave wants it <i>out</i>. What the fuck is wrong with him? He’s never felt this way about anyone's scent before. </p><p>It also smells distinctly…. Possessive. </p><p>Whoa whoa whoa, who gave this fucking alpha the right to come over here and assert himself like this over here? Dave has known some dickwad alphas, but this is on another level of bastard. It’s a straight up asshole trick. </p><p>Dave is quick to regain control over his subtype pheromones and he’s relieved to note when they have dispersed from the air and are gone. His face resets into that comfortable, stoic facade again. Back to normal. </p><p>He puts another step between him and Vantas, because the sooner he gets away from this guy the better. Why is the guy so weirdly calm now? Because he’s satisfied he just got the upper hand on Dave? </p><p>What a fucking prick. </p><p>“Likewise,” he grits out through clenched teeth. </p><p>It takes all the willpower in his body to turn away and walk out the door. </p><p>-</p><p>The mask--and Karkat recognizes it as a mask now--of casual indifference slips back over Dave’s face and he turns and leaves. With every step an unfamiliar desperation grows in Karkat and he wants to call <i>come back</i>, but he bites the inside of his cheek and watches with dark eyes as Dave and his lawyer leave the room.</p><p>“Nepeta,” he says once they’re out of sight. “Handle the scheduling. Make sure it happens next week. Don’t let the front desk give them the run around.”</p><p>Nepeta and Terezi turn to look at him searchingly. He doesn’t know why Terezi bothers, since she’s blind, but he’s given up on ever understanding her. </p><p>“Gotcha,” Nepeta says, grabbing her phone. She doesn’t question him, but Terezi leans forward with her chin in her palm and grins disarmingly.</p><p>“Why Karkat,” she says, “Do I detect a note of <i>interest</i> in your scent?”</p><p>“Fuck off,” he replies, scowling. “I have shit to do. Don’t you?”</p><p>“I think I do,” Terezi continues, ignoring him completely. “And it is <i>strong</i>. You might want to get a handle on that. Strider might get the wrong idea. Or the right one.”</p><p>“I’m glaring at you,” Karkat tells her. “If you could see it you’d be very fucking intimidated. I’m incredibly intimidating.”</p><p>“Would I be intimidated?” Terezi asks Nepeta. Nepeta looks up from her phone, squinting at him and tilting her head slightly.</p><p>“Nah,” she says.</p><p>Karkat gives up and storms out of the room.</p><p>-</p><p>It takes more than all the willpower Dave has. Turning away from Vantas alone is a Herculean effort, walking away is even worse. Every cell in his body is screaming at him to turn back around. </p><p>Dave doesn’t know what the fuck is wrong with him, he’s never… he’s never felt like this before. He’s never been so strongly impacted by an alpha’s proximity, or even his weakling omega inclinations. It makes Dave wrinkle his nose in disgust. He’s so disappointed in himself. What would Bro say if he knew about this? </p><p><i>Pathetic.</i> </p><p>The lawyer follows him out, and thankfully neither of them speak to each other. Dave needs the time to refocus himself. </p><p>He expects that the magnetic sensation will get better as he puts distance between himself and the alpha, but it only gets worse. By the time he’s on the ground floor again it’s like his body is prickling with irritation. </p><p>Dave staunchly ignores it. </p><p>By the time they are halfway across town on the way back to the Strider Tech headquarters, Dave thinks that maybe he should just call it a day. Something about that meeting, about that <i>asshole alpha</i>, has shaken him up. He doesn’t know if he can face Bro and tell him how the meeting went like this. </p><p>Too bad he has to. </p><p>“Why the fuck does your face look like that,” Bro says when Dave walks into his lab-office up on the top floor. </p><p>“Vantas wants another meeting with us, with the scientists this time.” </p><p>Bro punches an elaborate machine on his desk and sends it crashing on to the ground. The cost of it would be astronomical to some but to Bro it’s merely pennies. </p><p>“What the fuck happened? Was your pussy ass not good enough to stand up to <i>Vantas</i>?” </p><p>The words bite, but Dave doesn’t flinch from them. Not anymore. </p><p>It reminds him of his place and the way Vantas made him feel, and it makes him <i>angry</i>. </p><p>“Maybe it was your shitty ass lawyer you hired,” Dave counters. </p><p>Bro regards him for a long second and then snorts. “Yeah, fucking sure.”</p><p>He approaches Dave, and Dave prepares himself for the punch that might be coming. </p><p>Except all Bro does is pause right beside him, turning to speak directly into Dave’s ear. </p><p>“You get our way with this one or else,” he commands. “Whatever it takes. No excuses.” </p><p>Dave doesn’t look at him. He just nods stiffly while internally recoiling with disgust. He doesn’t want to do that, <i>not again</i>. Not with another alpha, and especially, fucking <i>especially</i> not with another man. </p><p>Bro at least seems satisfied with that. “Go to the meeting, whenever the fuck it is. Don’t let me down. Now get the fuck out of here, I’m busy.” </p><p>Dave gladly takes his cue to leave. </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat spends the week bullying Sollux into agreeing to go to the next meeting. He’s pissed about it because he’s fucking baby who hates the business side of owning a business, but Karkat wears him down and eventually agrees.</p><p>With that taken care of, he hunkers down in front of his computer and does some good old fashioned internet stalking. Dave Strider of Strider Tech has a surprisingly small presence online. Everything he finds focuses largely on Broderick Strider. There’s hardly a mention of Dave anywhere. </p><p>He does find a few social media sites. Rarely used, probably used only for business. The most Karkat learns is that Dave is 28 and under his interests he just put ‘music’. All the photos of him are clearly professional.</p><p>It’s weird.</p><p>Karkat doesn’t have a big presence online either, and he has all his accounts set to private, but he <i>has</i> them. He updates them infrequently but there are pictures of him with his friends, out and about. Everything he sees about Dave is just like his emotionless facade, put up to keep people from really seeing him. But why?</p><p>He’ll have time to figure it out. However this meeting goes (and he suspects it will go badly), Karkat will ask Dave out on a date afterwards. This may result in Dave laughing in his face, but Karkat has to try. He briefly considers having flowers delivered to Strider Tech but disregards the idea. He doesn’t think Dave would appreciate the attention.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave does not stick around. </p><p>He goes home, and in his high rise apartment he tries to drown out this newfound bizarre yearning with gaming. It is only mildly successful. </p><p>This must be some serious omega nonsense he’s just got to push through. </p><p>He hates it. </p><p>When Dave finally slips into bed that night, he hates how desperately lonely he feels. His mind is immediately back on Vantas. Something sappily pleased rises up when Dave pictures the man’s face in his head. </p><p>What the hell is wrong with him?! </p><p>… His body aches with desire to be held. </p><p>No, fuck, he doesn’t want that. It’s just some o-type bullshit he needs to get under control. It’s just hormones or something like that, it will either go away or he’ll make it go away.</p><p>When he wakes up tomorrow it’ll be better.</p><p> </p><p>Predictably, it doesn’t really get better the next day. </p><p>But at least he’s one day closer to that meeting where he’s going to ream Vantas. </p><p>-</p><p>When the day of the meeting rolls around, Karkat pulls out the suit that Kanaya assures him makes him look ‘irresistible’ and that Nepeta has told him on more than one occasion ‘really brings out your ass, boss. I mean eyes.’ He fiddles with his hair but after half an hour gives up with a grimace. It’s a lost cause.</p><p>It’s a stupid impulse, but he wants to impress Dave. Wants to show him how he can take care of him, provide for him, be <i>good</i> for him. He wants to find that fear he scented and snuff it out completely.</p><p>He arrives early to work and finds Sollux in the lab, still there from last night because the idiot never went home. Karkat bitches at him all the way up to the meeting room. Nepeta and Terezi are already there, and they both join in on badgering Sollux into taking care of himself until Sollux is a fuming, sleep-deprived, coffee-addled mess.</p><p>Good. Now to unleash him on the Strider Tech lawyers and scientists while Karkat speaks to Dave. If he ever fucking gets here. He checks his watch and yeah, he’s late. Karkat frowns, a small seed of worry blooming in his chest.</p><p>-</p><p>The week passes by uneventfully, but Dave’s anxiety over the pending meeting with Alternia only grows. </p><p>Well, maybe not anxiety, but twisted excitement. Dave can’t seem to get it to stop. He knows he’s not looking forward to this meeting. </p><p>Yet he can’t seem to stop thinking about Vantas, either, and it pisses him off. </p><p> </p><p>The day finally arrives. </p><p>Dave was told once by Bro that he should always try to be late. It’s a way to get in someone’s head, show them who really is on top.</p><p>However today it was more like Dave barely slept at all the night before, tossing and turning sleeplessly while that yearning sensation persisted, so he ended up sleeping through his alarm. </p><p>That was rare. </p><p>The Strider Tech lawyer and two lead scientist representatives are waiting for Dave outside of Alternia to go in together. Dave just nods at them and continues into the glass doors of the building. </p><p>His stomach swirls with that agonizing mix of nerves and anticipation as they go up in the elevator back to the meeting room. </p><p>Dave still doesn’t really know how he’s going to handle Vantas, should it come down to that. The guy has already proven himself to be terrible. Dave can’t wait until he has nothing to do with him anymore and can forget about this strange week he’s had thinking about him. </p><p>For now, he pushes the door to the meeting room open, reminding himself that he will do whatever it takes for his company. </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat taps his foot anxiously, crossing his arms and ignoring the chatter from his ~~friends~~ associates. He perks up when he hears footsteps approaching the door, which earns him a weird look from Sollux but Sollux can get fucked. Dave walks in, flanked again by the lawyer and someone who Karkat can only assume is their lead scientist.</p><p>The moment Dave walks in, Karkat feels a pull towards him. He wants to go up to him and bury his nose in Dave’s neck, breathe in the scent that he’s hiding. He wants to run his hands all over Dave, and have Dave do the same, until they smell like each other. He wants to give Dave one of the baggy sweaters Karkat wears when he’s home alone and craving comfort.</p><p>“Mr. Strider,” Karkat says, giving a tight nod. He eyes the people behind him disdainfully. “And company.”</p><p>The scientist is another alpha and it takes a monumental effort not to roll his eyes. So far everyone besides Dave that Karkat has interacted with from Strider Tech has been an alpha. Do they even hire anyone else? Is that why Dave wears scent blockers?</p><p>“Have a seat,” Karkat says, turning his back and walking to the refreshments they have. He pours a cup of coffee and frowns before adding a decent amount of cream and a packet of sugar. He hears conversation start up behind him as he stirs the coffee and comes back over to the table, offering the cup to Dave with a raised eyebrow. “Coffee?”</p><p>His hand is gripping the top of the cup, so there’s plenty of space for Dave to take it without touching him, but there’s also plausible deniability if he <i>does</i>. Karkat can feel Nepeta watching him with interest but he staunchly ignores her.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave pauses bodily as he steps through and finally sets eyes on Vantas. A desire to be closer hits him and Dave again finds himself disgusted with both himself and the alpha. </p><p>Instead of that outright hostility from yesterday, Dave has a sense of comfort radiating from the alpha. It’s disconcerting and wrong. </p><p>Not only that but among the scents of the individuals in the room, Vantas’s is by far the strongest. </p><p>It’s… it’s incredible. Dave had only observed it yesterday for seconds, but now he’s drowning in it. Vantas’s scent is heady and fresh yet spicy, and not only does it send messages to Dave’s hindbrain that he’s safe but it also is doing something to his body he absolutely doesn’t want it to do: Vantas’s scent is arousing. Not to Dave mentally, but he can’t seem to control what it’s doing to his body. </p><p>Dave has been with plenty of alphas, and he can say for certain not one of them has ever made him feel like this just purely by scent and proximity. </p><p>Dave is still in control of his own scent though, so he straightens his posture and pushes onward. </p><p>Vantas greets him directly and all Dave offers is a curt nod in response. He goes to take his seat on one of the farther ends of the table, allowing the scientists and lawyer to get into the discussion with himself on the periphery. </p><p>He remains acutely aware of Vantas as he leaves the table and is surprised as well as annoyed when the man reappears at his side, offering a cup of coffee. </p><p>The fuck is he playing at here? </p><p>Whatever kind of business strategy Vantas has up his sleeve, Dave is not familiar or down with it.</p><p>He glances down into the offered cup, keeping his expression stoic and unmoved. Typically he would take his coffee black, at least in front of a crowd, but this coffee looks creamy and satisfying and Dave is honestly very tired.</p><p>He wants to tell Vantas to fuck off and tell him he can go get his own coffee. </p><p>Except… some deep part of Dave in the back of his head feels weirdly pleased at the offering. Like… Vantas is trying to care for him or something.</p><p>Dave feels another spike of irritation at the alpha for making him feel that. </p><p>But he has a role to play here. Bro told him to get his way, no matter what. If that means getting into this asshole’s good graces, so fucking be it. </p><p>Dave accepts the coffee, grabbing from the bottom so that there is distance between their hands by a far margin. </p><p>He doesn’t say anything though, he just silently accepts it. If Vantas is upset with the lack of gratitude he can take it and shove it up his ass. </p><p>But somehow, he just knows Vantas won’t be upset. It’s like he can either smell Vantas’s intentions towards him, or he just knows it intrinsically, or something like that. </p><p>Now that he’s close again, Vantas’s scent consumes Dave, and what he reads in it terrifies him. </p><p>Vantas smells like care, with all of it aimed directly at Dave. </p><p>This is so fucked. </p><p>-</p><p>Dave doesn’t let their hands touch but he does accept the coffee, and Karkat takes this as a win. He has to squash down the pleased rumble that threatens to escape him as he sits across from Dave, glancing disinterestedly at the people he brought with him as a distraction.</p><p>“KK, can you believe the shit these assholes are saying?” Sollux turns to him and asks. </p><p>“Not in the least,” Karkat tells him, having no idea what he’s talking about. Luckily Sollux doesn’t actually give a shit and turns to jump right back into whatever heated debate he’s having. The other scientist’s scent is growing increasingly annoyed, which isn’t surprising. Sollux has that effect on people. It usually takes a bit longer, though.</p><p>He looks back at Dave. It’s hard to tell with the shades, but Karkat thinks Dave might be staring at him. He sits up a bit straighter, adjusts his tie, and raises an eyebrow. </p><p>So far Dave hasn’t said anything at all. He didn’t speak much last time, either, and Karkat again wonders why he’s here, if not to participate and barter. He doesn’t seem particularly invested in this. It makes sense that Strider Tech would want someone here to oversee negotiations, but Dave doesn’t even look like he’s paying attention.</p><p>Well, whatever. It doesn’t really matter why he’s here. What matters is that as soon as Sollux reduces this alpha scientist to tears and Terezi rips apart the lawyer, Karkat can ask Dave out on a date.</p><p>Nepeta gives him another strange look. Karkat has been a bit passive so far, but he has more important things on his mind than some stupid patent.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave watches, not turning his head just watching with his eyes, as Vantas goes over to sit across from him. He doesn’t even go to get himself coffee. </p><p>He takes a sip and it’s again hard to school his expression as he tastes the perfect ratio of cream and sugar. It’s… lame, yeah, that he’s sitting here overseeing a squabble that could result with losses in the manner of billions, and here he is drinking creamy sweet coffee. Does Vantas find that amusing or something? What was the deal with this then? Had Dave gotten it himself he would have taken it black. </p><p>From then on he listens to the back and forth, just trying to follow the main idea for when he eventually has to report back to Bro. He sips his coffee and does his best to pay attention, except he really can’t. </p><p>Vantas is sitting across the table and it’s impossible for Dave to take his eyes off of him. </p><p>The magnetic pull is back again, but thankfully less this time. He can still smell him over anyone else in the room. </p><p>Dave keeps his expression disinterested as he tries not to think about Vantas and so his mind wanders. He considers what more he’ll have to do if this meeting falls through. Will he have to try to get in Vantas’s bed? When Bro tells him <i>by whatever means necessary</i>, that’s usually what he’s talking about. </p><p>When Dave had been brought on to work under Bro at Strider Tech, he tried to hide his recent presentation, but that had been an exercise in futility. Bro had made clear his stance on subtypes for years. </p><p>Dave would never forget the look of disgust on his face when he realized that Dave was an omega. </p><p>Before that he’d been brought on as a chairman, but after Bro knew he started sending him to more meetings with competitors and people he wanted under his thumb for whatever reason. </p><p>Back then…. Dave had foolishly thought some things. Like that it was okay to date other guys no matter their subtype.</p><p>Then one day Bro suggested he sleep with one of them, to get on the inside. </p><p>So Dave did it. </p><p>That had been fine, until he came back. </p><p>Dave would never forget what Bro said to him then. And Bro was the boss, so Dave believed him. </p><p>Then even as disgusted Bro was with Dave for sleeping with another man, even more for being an omega, he still sent him again and again. Dave knows for a fact he toppled two smaller companies just by sleeping with the right person and ripping a few important emails while they were post coitally sleeping. </p><p>But he hated it. He hated every asshole alpha or even occasional beta Bro ever sent him to. Male or female, it didn’t matter, Dave hated all of them. </p><p>But he especially couldn’t stand the male alphas. Dave always felt they treated him differently once they knew he was an omega, and Bro did too so why wouldn’t they? Most of them tended to be brutal, aggressive and all around shitty people. </p><p>That’s part of why he hid his status. Dave was well aware he was really the only omega in Bro’s administration. If he wasn’t careful, what he represented was a weakness. </p><p>That brings him back to the alpha sitting across the table in front of him. </p><p>Does he know Dave is an omega? </p><p>Is that why he’s already being so... weird? </p><p>Maybe it would be easy enough to sleep with him and jump onto his computer when he’s asleep. Dave wouldn’t enjoy it, especially because he doesn’t think Vantas is attractive. Yeah sure he’s well dressed and Dave can recognize that but the line stops there. </p><p>It. Stops. There. </p><p> </p><p>He realizes he’s staring at Vantas when the alpha shifts in his seat and gives Dave an amused expression. Dave’s lips quirk in annoyance and he immediately turns his chair to face the meeting and show that his attention is over there. </p><p>It’s not fair how Vantas can be so intimidating just sitting in his seat like that. His shoulders are so broad, begging for Dave to come over there and sit himself in his lap to be kept safe and -- </p><p>No. Absolutely not. His pitiful omega daydreaming has no place here, and it never will</p><p>- </p><p>The meeting goes on. Sollux calls the other scientist ‘an insult to the industry’ and ‘an alpha douchebag with a miniscule brain rivaled only by the tininess of his dick.’ Karkat has to turn a laugh into a cough as the alpha in question turns an impressive shade of red. Terezi doesn’t bother, letting out a loud cackle.</p><p>The alpha stands up and Karkat can taste his rage in the air. Well, time to step in before Sollux gets decked across the face. And they say betas are supposed to be a calming presence.</p><p>“That’s enough for today,” Karkat says, standing up as well. He stares down the alpha until he gets himself under control, gritting his teeth and letting out a loud breath. “This meeting has been a colossal waste of fucking time. Maybe the next one might actually accomplish something.”</p><p>The lawyer looks like he’s about to protest. Karkat interrupts before he can.</p><p>“Schedule an appointment at the desk,” he says, then looks to Dave. “Mr. Strider, may I speak with you privately?”</p><p>It feels like every head in the room swivels to stare at him, and Karkat’s heart is loud in his ears but he keeps calm. Maybe Dave will turn him down (Dave will probably turn him down), but Karkat won’t know unless he tries.</p><p>He’s been alone for so long that he got used to the yawning chasm within him, but when he and Dave touched it felt like, for a second, some of that might have been filled. It gave him something that felt suspiciously like <i>hope</i>, and Karkat can’t let an opportunity like this go to waste. Not when he and Dave have that kind of connection. Not when they might be <i>soulmates</i>.</p><p>If Dave says no then he says no, and Karkat will… just have to cope with that.</p><p>-</p><p>The meeting ends with an impressive bit of insulting. Dave is actually trying to keep himself from laughing as the rival scientist rep blasts his own from Strider Tech. </p><p>Then Vantas declares the meeting over but appears to demand a following one, so that settles that. This is going to continue, and that means Dave will have to start making some hard choices.</p><p>Dave is totally caught off guard by the question Vantas asks him next. He wants to speak to him privately? About fucking what? </p><p>Dave can feel both the Strider Tech lawyer and scientist regarding him curiously. </p><p>He doesn’t like the idea of being alone with this guy. Why does it feel like he’s going to start crooning at the thought, or something humiliating like that. </p><p>Even if Dave doesn’t want to speak to him, he knows it would be a bad idea to say no. </p><p>“Alright,” Dave says with a resigned exhale and shoves himself to standing, looking to Vantas for direction. </p><p>-</p><p>Dave doesn’t look very enthused, but then again Dave hasn’t looked very anything either time Karkat has seen him. He looks at Nepeta and jerks his head to the door. She takes the hint and begins ushering everyone out of the room. Terezi takes the time to look vaguely in his direction, tilt her glasses down, and wink an unfocused eye while grinning broadly.</p><p>And then, finally, it’s just himself and Dave. Karkat feels nerves creeping up on him and he tries to push them away before they come through in his scent, but he’s probably not successful. Karkat’s never been good at hiding what he’s feeling.</p><p>There’s really no point in dragging this out. Either he’s rejected or he’s not.</p><p>“This is a bit unorthodox, with our companies in negotiations,” he says. “But I was wondering if you’d like to go out to dinner. With me.”</p><p>He watches Dave’s face carefully, searching for any indication of what he’s thinking.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave is slightly taken aback when everyone else has to leave the room. He would have thought Vantas would have taken him elsewhere for this little meeting, but he apparently was wrong on that account. </p><p>At least the table is still between them. </p><p>Now that everyone else has left the room, all Dave can smell is the leftover coffee and Vantas. The alpha’s scent is still just as unbearably pleasant. </p><p>Dave reads a spike of anxiety in the air originating from him.</p><p>He’s never smelled anxiety quite like this from someone before. It is typically far more subtle and in far different circumstances. </p><p>Then Dave finds himself completely thrown off by Vantas one more time. His eyebrows come down in confusion and he blinks in disbelief behind his shades at the question. </p><p>He wants to go out to dinner with Dave? Is this a joke? What kind of slimy maneuver is this? Dave isn’t used to the script being flipped on him in this way. </p><p>He must know Dave is an omega. Dave presses his lips together unhappily. It would have come up eventually, or something, but for him to already know and be trying to get the advantage… Dave really doesn’t like that. </p><p>“What’s in it for you,” he asks in a suspicious growl. </p><p>He will say yes because he has no choice. This would be a prime opportunity to sway the situation in their favor, maybe even convince Vantas to drop the issue entirely. Or he could just get information, but that would be too easy. </p><p>And so what if it’s just because Vantas is eager to see the omega open up his legs for him… He’ll get what he fucking wants, sure, but Dave will hate every second of it. </p><p>-</p><p>Whatever Karkat is expecting, Dave’s reaction is not it. The man’s eyebrows furrow and his lips pinch together and overall he looks <i>defensive</i> if not downright pissed off. Karkat admittedly could have made a better first impression, but he doesn’t think he’s earned this kind of hostility quite yet.</p><p>And still Dave’s scent remains unchanged. Karkat frowns, confused. What the actual fuck? He’s received many kinds of responses when asking people out, back when that was a thing he still did, from laughter in his face to pitying looks to the occasional acceptance, but this is a new one.</p><p>“I would have the chance to get to know you outside of a business setting,” he says. “That’s what’s in it for me.”</p><p>It’s not a <i>no</i> but it certainly isn’t the <i>yes</i> he was hoping for. In fact, this throws up all kinds of red flags that have Karkat wishing the table wasn’t between them so he could pull Dave against him, wrap his arms around him, and keep him safe.</p><p>Dave had definitely felt what Karkat did when they touched. It caused him to lose control of his scent, and Karkat saw the shock on his face. It definitely happened. Karkat didn’t imagine it.</p><p>-</p><p>Well that just sounds like some straight up bullshit. Get to know him out of a business setting? Why?! </p><p>Why is this alpha so dead set on driving Dave crazy with his comforting, arousal-inducing scent and arms that look like they were made to hold him? </p><p>“Okay, well, you see, I’m kind of failing to understand the reason behind why you would want to do that,” Dave says back to him pointedly. </p><p>He knows this antagonism is flying in the face of what he should be doing, but Vantas isn’t following the rules. If anything it should have been Dave offering a private dinner meeting or drinks. Dave isn’t used to going about this the other way around, and it makes him uncomfortable. This isn’t the way it’s supposed to go. </p><p>For now he has to understand why Vantas wants to meet with him. Should he have to turn his attitude around later to win over Vantas he’ll do that, but he won’t be walking into that situation without knowing his angle first. </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat is honestly at a loss. Why <i>wouldn’t</i> he want to get to know Dave, his potential soulmate? But he can’t say that; soulmate is a big word, and Dave already looks prepared to bolt at the slightest misstep, so Karkat considers his words carefully.</p><p>There was a time when Karkat would tear his hair out, trying to learn how to subtly flirt, how to tell if someone was subtly flirting with <i>him</i>. There were mind games and nights he lost sleep overthinking various interactions with people he had feelings for. But he’s long past that. He’s thirty-six, he runs a highly successful business; and yet here he is, stomach squirming nervously as he tries to tell a boy he likes him.</p><p>“I don’t know what you think is happening here,” Karkat says plainly, confusion evident. “I’m asking you out on a date, Dave, because I’m interested in you romantically and I want to get to know you.”</p><p>He takes a deep breath, trying to radiate sincerity and calm. “If you aren’t interested back that’s fucking fine, but I would like an answer.”</p><p>Ah, well. There goes that. Now <i>he’s</i> acting defensive. Fuck.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave blinks again as he processes the response and then he reacts in the only way he possibly could. </p><p>He laughs, and he laughs hard. His expression breaks into pure joy. </p><p>“Romantically, wow, that’s hilarious. Haven’t heard that one before,” he says when he finally manages to stop laughing so hard. He straightens up and regards Vantas more seriously as the lingering chuckles wear off. “Alright <i>big boy</i>, we’ll go on your <i>date</i>.... But don’t act like we both don’t know what’s really going on here.” </p><p>The only reason Vantas would ask this of him was because he wanted to sleep with him, and this was the only way he could pitch it that wasn’t totally sleazy. Dave sees through it. Knowing the leader of Alternia Tech even swings this way makes Dave look down on them even more. </p><p>Or, well, Bro would. Dave… Dave doesn’t for that, not really. Dave just wants nothing to do with this guy. He wants this magnetic feeling that hangs between them gone forever. </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat is torn between two conflicting feelings, watching Dave’s face as he bursts into laughter at Karkat’s words. The first is awe, because holy fuck Dave is <i>beautiful</i> when he laughs. Karkat particularly likes the way his nose scrunches up and how he laughs with his whole body. It’s such a refreshing sight, after staring at his stoic face for so long.</p><p>The second feeling is a crushing, debilitating disappointment. Karkat’s been laughed at for asking someone out before, and that was always humiliating, but it never felt like <i>this</i>, like his heart was breaking in two. He grits his teeth and waits for Dave to recover, wanting nothing more than to retreat and lick his wounds.</p><p>His soulmate thinks going on a date with him is laughable. It fucking figures, but it still hurts.</p><p>But when Dave finishes his laughing fit, he… agrees? To the date. But he also says not to pretend not to know what’s really going on here.</p><p>Karkat’s brow furrows. He doesn’t have to pretend, because he’s fucking lost and he doesn’t have a map to point him in the right direction. But he doesn’t want to say anything and fuck up this chance, so he nods and pulls out his phone, holding it out to Dave.</p><p>“Put in your number and we can discuss the details,” he says.</p><p>-</p><p>As Dave leans back into Vantas’s space to take the phone, he’s again filled with his comforting scent. It’s so… </p><p>Why does he smell like that? Does he realize, is he doing it on purpose? It’s like every part of Vantas is made to spite Dave. But now that he’s been drowning in his scent, Dave thinks he might leave and… crave it. </p><p>As if he hadn’t been craving it this entire last week. </p><p>It’s all so at odds with the actual situation. Dave feels completely out of his depth. </p><p>He takes the phone, almost snatching it from Vantas, and puts in his number. </p><p>Bro would have said something like, ‘bother my secretary for it’, but it’s not like Bro would ever let Dave have a secretary. Not with his subtype. </p><p>He holds the phone back out to Vantas and becomes aware that his heart is pounding like it’s trying to up and squeeze out of his throat. It’s not necessarily in a bad way, it’s more like he’s excited. </p><p>Dave doesn’t know why that would be, and he’s already starting to get real sick of his body reacting this way around Vantas. </p><p>“Is that all?” </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat has no fucking idea how to read Dave’s tone. Whatever it is, it doesn’t sound pleased. So Karkat nods again, taking his phone back, and walks with Dave to the door. Dave leaves a substantial amount of distance between them and Karkat doesn’t try to close it, though he desperately wants to. He feels the space between them like a physical ache.</p><p>“I’ll text you,” Karkat says lamely. Dave cocks an eyebrow and doesn’t answer, turning on his heel and walking away. The moment he’s out of sight Nepeta appears from fucking nowhere, her phone already out.</p><p>“Well? What did he say?” she demands. “You’re busy Saturday night and Sunday you’re going to see your dad. You’re open Friday evening, though.”</p><p>Karkat pinches the bridge of his nose and tries to breathe. </p><p>He holds himself back from texting Dave for a whole four hours, which should honestly net him a medal of some kind. </p><p>KV: THIS IS KARKAT. ARE YOU FREE FRIDAY AT 7?<br/>
KV: AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT ITALIAN?</p><p>-</p><p>Dave vaguely wonders if he might regret giving Vantas his number as he leaves. He says he’s going to text him, and over the course of the trip home Dave spends the time checking his phone way more than he regularly would. </p><p>Just getting casual texts about dinner from a rival company CEO, sounds like a great idea. </p><p>Dave’s never given one of his potential information marks his number. It was just never necessary. This is already so different. </p><p>When he gets back to the Strider Tech headquarters he goes right up to Bro’s lab for a quick check in. </p><p>“Vantas wants another meeting,” Dave says to Bro, who doesn’t look up from what he’s working on when Dave walks in. </p><p>“So are you going to sleep with him?” Is what Bro says in response, sounding bored. </p><p>Dave doesn’t let himself react, but Bro reads the beat of following silence well enough. </p><p>“Yeah, that’s our little company slut,” Bro says. </p><p>Dave is relieved when Bro excuses him immediately after. </p><p>What else would Bro have said if he knew Vantas asked him out to dinner already? </p><p><i>He could tell you were an omega f*g that couldn’t wait to open up his legs.</i> </p><p>Dave shudders involuntarily. </p><p>He’s <i>not</i>. He doesn’t like males. He doesn’t really like anyone. Even a few of the female alpha’s he’s been with all rubbed him the wrong way. He only ever slept with any of them because Bro told him to. </p><p>Then Dave would, and he’d come back victorious and Bro would then say something like <i>that</i>. </p><p>Maybe there was some truth to it. Dave had fought for so long to be seen as enough by Bro. He had always done whatever it took for his approval, but it seemed like no matter what Dave did, that approval would never come. </p><p>Dave goes home soon after and orders food for delivery, not keen on interacting with anyone else the rest of the day. </p><p>He never minded being alone like this, but now… The loneliness of his home feels cavernous. It’s like his body now knows that this isn’t home, not truly. </p><p>Like something is missing. </p><p>Dave is in the middle of eating his delivered tacos when his phone buzzes. He leaps off the couch for it, almost knocking all of his ordered food onto the ground.</p><p>It’s from Vantas. </p><p>Even in the absence of his scent, the message still fills part of Dave up with pure joy and relief. </p><p>Dave really needs to get himself under control between now and this next meeting. </p><p>He also refers to himself as Karkat, which almost gives Dave a moment of cognitive dissonance. He’s not Karkat to him, it’s Vantas. </p><p>“Karkat,” Dave still murmurs aloud, alone in his home, as he looks at the messages on his phone. It’s the first time he’s ever said his name out loud. The name tastes so good in his mouth. </p><p>He shakes his head, clearing the weird momentary lapse that caused him to say it out loud. That was strange. </p><p>DS: yeah im free<br/>
DS: and italian is fine<br/>
DS: why wouldnt it be all my suits come from there </p><p>What the hell is he even doing, trying to engage him in conversation? Why is it so different when they aren’t face to face? His brain isn’t being clogged up with his scent so Dave shouldn’t be doing anything idiotic like this.</p><p>All of this is still so strange too. Vantas is really going out of his way for some weird reason. It’s not necessary, either. Maybe he heard through the grapevine that one of the higher ups in the Strider Tech admin sleeps around, so what. He still doesn’t need to put all this work in. </p><p>Dave’s nose wrinkles in disgust as he considers the fact that he still agreed to go on a date <i>with another man</i>. It’s <i>gross<i> how many men Dave has slept with, and not just because it was slutty. He doesn’t want them. </i></i></p><p>
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</p><p>-</p><p>Karkat’s lips twitch up into a rare smile as Dave immediately texts him back. No stupid mind games, then. That’s a relief. </p><p>KV: JUST MAKING SURE<br/>
KV: I WOULDN’T WANT TO TAKE YOU OUT TO SOMEWHERE YOU HATE<br/>
KV: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF SAPORI? HAVE YOU BEEN THERE?</p><p>Sapori is a bit stuffier than what Karkat prefers, but he wants to take Dave somewhere nice. Strider Tech is highly successful, and Dave likely goes out to expensive restaurants all the time. So even though Karkat would much rather go see a movie and hit up a local diner afterwards, he is entirely willing to pull a few strings to get reservations on short notice.</p><p>Maybe Dave won’t be so on guard outside working hours. Maybe Karkat will even be able to catch his scent again. The thought fills him with a warm eagerness. He wants Dave in his arms, wants to press his nose against his scent glands and stay there for hours.</p><p>After the restaurant they can walk along the pier. If Karkat is lucky Dave might like him enough to let Karkat steal a kiss.</p><p>-</p><p>Well, that’s… considerate? No one’s ever bothered asking what Dave liked. </p><p>Most people don’t know that Dave grew up on a solid diet of combination Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, before Bro managed to break into his now very successful business. </p><p>Part of him felt like he’d never be totally used to those dimly lit steakhouse dining rooms with fancy chandeliers and dress codes. </p><p>But yeah, for all the carnally-related reconnaissance Bro has had Dave do that entailed meals or bars with final checks nearing close to or over a thousand, Dave had never cared to ask whoever it was what they would prefer, and they had never cared to ask him. He had just assumed whatever it was on Yelp that had four dollar signs would be fine. </p><p>Sapori also has four dollar signs. </p><p>DS: you have to order like four entrees at that place just for it to equal one buca di beppo appetizer<br/>
DS: so like if you’re into having a single lettuce leaf as a meal sure</p><p>Dave should be keeping these messages short, but he’s always found himself partial to textual conversation. It was just easier, and not riddled with all the intricacies of talking face to face. Maybe that’s just a side effect of growing up mainly talking to people over the internet though. </p><p>Still, Dave realized he’s almost compelled to talk to him more. All he should be doing is leaving short responses, or some hard to get bullshit because Vantas is clearly after the same thing he is. </p><p>That’s frustrating. Dave would have thought when he was away from that stupid alpha with his beckoning embrace and delicious scent he’d be better about all of this. </p><p>He can’t keep letting this asshole get in his head like this. Dave has to keep his eyes on the prize. </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat frowns, confused. He would have thought Sapori to be right up Dave’s alley, but maybe Dave is more like Karkat in that he prefers something more low-key. That would make sense, if they’re soulmates. Expensive doesn’t always mean better, after all.</p><p>KV: WOULD YOU PREFER BUCA DI BEPPO, THEN?<br/>
KV: I’VE NEVER BEEN<br/>
KV: IS IT GOOD?<br/>
KV: NEVERMIND, OBVIOUSLY IT’S GOOD IF YOU LIKE IT</p><p>Christ. Why is he allowed to interact with people when he’s so fucking terrible at it?</p><p>Karkat has heard of the restaurant, but before he and Sollux started up their business (and for awhile after) sit-down restaurants were ‘too expensive’ and after they found success he rarely had the time, and when he did go out it was largely to rub elbows in fancy establishments for business purposes.</p><p>A quick google search has Karkat raising his eyebrows. It’s much less stuffy than Sapori, that’s for sure. </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>This guy has never been to Buca Di Beppo? What kind of sad, affluent childhood did this asshole have? Well Dave actually thinks he went there only once in his teens but that was a while ago. </p><p>Also, wait, no, Dave at least knows that is not the ambiance he wants to, well, seduce anyone in. </p><p>DS: no that place is fine<br/>
DS: i have to reach my monthly fancy restaurant meal quota anyways<br/>
DS: otherwise i wouldn’t be a real business admin guy right </p><p>That’s the reminder that they are both definitely working for rivaling companies right now, can’t let Vantas get too comfortable. </p><p>Or wait, isn’t that the point? Ugh, whatever. </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat chews on his lip, even more confused.  </p><p>Is Dave worried about being a cheap date? Does he think Karkat will look down on him for choosing anything other than a high-end restaurant? Ugh, he thought he was done with this over-analytical relationship nonsense. Best to just be honest and upfront.</p><p>KV: YOUR RESTAURANT LOOKS A LOT MORE FUN THAN SAPORI<br/>
KV: I’M HONESTLY NOT A HUGE FAN OF OVERPRICED FANCY SHIT<br/>
KV: I’LL MAKE A RESERVATION FOR BOTH AND YOU CAN DECIDE THE DAY OF</p><p>That seems like a pretty decent compromise. He can call in a few favors to get the reservation and if Dave decides against Sapori that’s fine. Karkat would rather go somewhere Dave will actually enjoy, and it looks like there’s a Buca Di Beppo along the pier as well, although it’s on the entirely opposite side.</p><p>-</p><p>Holy shit, who even cares? Dave wants to yell at him that he can drop the facade. It’s becoming clear to him that all Vantas has been doing from the beginning, all the pheromones and everything, it’s just to get in his pants. </p><p>Vantas is clearly one of <i>those</i> kinds of alphas, and it’s one of the reasons that once Bro gets a foothold in the company through Dave they’ll topple like a house of cards. </p><p>Vantas clearly ran a very different kind of company than Bro did and it showed. </p><p>DS: uh okay<br/>
DS: whatever floats your bank account<br/>
DS: so is that all<br/>
DS: i cant just sit around all day and chat with you though im sure youd love that</p><p>Dave has to make it seem like he’s totally slammed with Strider Tech business and not home sitting around on a work afternoon, right? Yeah, some hard to get is just what this interaction needs right now. </p><p>-</p><p>Every exchange with Dave leaves Karkat feeling like he’s done something wrong. But Dave agreed to the date, when he could have told Karkat to fuck off. Maybe he’s just an ornery asshole like Karkat is. That’s fine, Karkat will adjust to his mannerisms.</p><p>KV: I WOULD<br/>
KV: BUT I’LL LET YOU GET BACK TO WORK<br/>
KV: I HAVE SHIT I NEED TO DEAL WITH HERE ANYWAY<br/>
KV: SEE YOU FRIDAY</p><p>He sighs. Friday seems like a long way away.</p><p>Karkat messages Feferi about getting a reservation and Sapori. She calls him crazy, because four days is nowhere near enough time for that, and he reminds her of the time he got Eridan off her back and she told him <i>I owe you so much, Karkat, let me know if you ever need anything at all</i> and Karkat said <i>anything?</i> and she said <i>anything</i>.</p><p>Feferi says she’ll see what she can do.</p><p>In the meantime, Karkat calls up Buca Di Beppo and makes a reservation for two and then, unfortunately, has to actually get back to work. </p><p>It’s not until later that night that he gets a message from Feferi, confirming that she got him the reservation and that if he ever asks her for anything again it best be to kiss the ground she walks on. Karkat snorts and sends a quick but sincere thank you.</p><p>Now he just has to get through the work week, and then he can see Dave again.</p>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>DS: uh okay<br/>
DS: whatever floats your bank account<br/>
DS: so is that all<br/>
DS: i cant just sit around all day and chat with you though im sure youd love that</p><p>KV: I WOULD<br/>
KV: BUT I’LL LET YOU GET BACK TO WORK<br/>
KV: I HAVE SHIT I NEED TO DEAL WITH HERE ANYWAY<br/>
KV: SEE YOU FRIDAY</p><p>-</p><p><i>Yeah, sure, like he really means that</i>, Dave thinks. It’s all just part of the game. </p><p>The next few days pass by uneventfully. Dave manages a few of the lesser projects Bro doesn’t care to deal with. In general, everything is fine. </p><p>What he can’t stand is that he can’t stop thinking about Vantas. It’s almost consuming him. He tries to think about other people and he can’t even do that. </p><p>Dave can’t figure it out. Was it some kind of new biomedical aphrodisiac Vantas gave him that he was testing out, a sure fire way to get someone to sleep with him? It’s a little bit of a leap, but Dave can’t figure it out otherwise. </p><p>He doesn’t like guys. He only sleeps with some sometimes to help his family company get their way. Sacrifice was key to success, everyone knew that. Dave will keep reminding himself of that until this weird thing Vantas did to him rides out. Maybe when this is all done and over he’ll call him out for it. </p><p>Friday evening arrives and Dave actually finds himself pondering what he’s going to wear. </p><p>He knows there are a few collared shirts other alphas have loved-- they accentuate the scent glands of the neck. When the few that have tried to sleep with him finally are allowed to smell him, it drives them crazy. Dave never bothers with a tie for that reason, it just gets in the way. </p><p>He settles on a grey suit with one such shirt in a dark red underneath. </p><p>Why the hell would they not go to Sapori when he’s dressed like this? He’s gonna have to break to Vantas that it will be the plan, what a shame. </p><p>He types the message up while he’s waiting for the Uber to arrive.</p><p>DS: just so you know<br/>
DS: im heading to your fancy italian place </p><p>-</p><p>The week drags by. It’s actually relatively busy, and Karkat’s running around putting out figurative fires all over the place, but the times when he isn’t immediately occupied feel like time is stretching out around him. He finds himself daydreaming about Dave several times like a teenager with a crush. Nepeta’s walked in on him doing this a few times and has started giggling up a storm whenever she sees him.</p><p>But Friday finally arrives. Karkat is anxious all day, and it only grows the longer the day goes on. Eventually Nepeta decides to clear his schedule and send him home, claiming she has the authority to do that, which she absolutely doesn’t. He ends up going home and being anxious there.</p><p>He picks out a suit. He hadn’t considered the dilemma of dress before when he gave Dave the choice to decide between two vastly different restaurants the day of, but he decides to dress like they’re going to Sapori and if Dave chooses otherwise that’s fine. Better to be overdressed than under, and Karkat can always lose the jacket and tie if needed.</p><p>An hour is spent trying to tame his hair into something reasonable, with mild success. He desperately misses Kanaya; she’s away in Europe, doing fashion designer-y things, and she’s the only one he trusts to make his hair look good instead of just passable.</p><p>He gets a message from Dave, telling him that he’s headed to Sapori, and part of Karkat is disappointed. He sends a text to Nepeta telling her to cancel the reservation for the other restaurant and heads out in his car. He could afford a better one, or even a chauffeur at this point, but he’s grown attached to his Audi.</p><p>KV: OKAY<br/>
KV: I’M ON MY WAY NOW</p><p>Karkat’s palms are sweaty as he drives, and when he gets there he takes a moment to breathe before getting out of the car and walking inside. He’s nervous but excited, and apparently the first one there, so he’s led to his table and waits, sipping at his water until Dave arrives. When he catches a glimpse of him he stands, smiling as Dave approaches.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave doesn’t know why he’s so wound up on the way over. This is just business as usual, right? </p><p>He assumes the reservation name is under Vantas and tells the host so, and then is led into the dining room. </p><p>His eyes land on Vantas, who stands as he sees him. </p><p>He looks… really happy to see Dave. Why does he look so happy?! </p><p>Well, Dave knows why, but usually they don’t look happy like this. </p><p>It also doesn’t usually make his stomach do flip-flops as he walks towards his mark. </p><p>Dave can’t take his eyes off of him as he approaches, either. </p><p>When he gets to the table, he doesn’t know what the hell he should do. This isn’t under the guise of business, so no handshake. </p><p>“Vantas,” he greets with a nod.</p><p>The host pulls out the chair and Dave sits, taking the menu as it's handed to him. His heart is pounding in his chest, what smooth moves can he make now and how fast can he make them? He’s going to wait for Vantas’s lead to see where that puts him, and then move from there. </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Dave’s expression is stoic and blank, just like his voice. There’s nothing openly hostile about him, but Karkat was hoping he’d look less like he was preparing to attend a funeral when they weren’t in a meeting room.</p><p>“Call me Karkat,” he says, smile flickering for a moment before he sits back down. The waiter hands them both a menu and asks what they’d like to drink. Karkat sticks with water; he could probably get away with a couple glasses of wine, having time before he has to drive home, but something tells him he’ll need all his wits about him for this. Dave is incredibly confusing. “You look great.”</p><p>“How’s your week gone?” Karkat asks. It was incredibly difficult not to pick up his phone and message Dave during the week. To ask him how he’s doing, what he’s up to, his opinions on random thoughts that zipped through Karkat’s head. </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat. Dave feels compelled to say it out loud again. He’s almost scared to regard him as anything other than Vantas and the familiarity using his first name might imply. </p><p>Dave wills himself to relax, and in doing so he puts the menu down in front of him and observes Karkat. He is just as well dressed as Dave is for the occasion. His hair is still untamed in comparison, but it works for him. </p><p><i>Handsome</i> is how one might describe the alpha. Dave doesn’t think about that kind of stuff, though. </p><p>Even among the smells of the restaurant, Dave still smells Vantas-- Karkat, above anything else. It is immediately comforting to Dave’s hindbrain, sending messages to his subconscious that he is safe now. Dave ignores it. </p><p>Dave orders water too, but he regards Karkat curiously when he also only orders water. From then it’s predictably onto the small talk. </p><p>“It was fine, no one died this time.” That joke is probably going to go right over Vantas’s head. “But uh, no wine, huh?” He lets a hint of a smile brace his lips and an eyebrow raise over his shades. “How exactly are you going to wine and dine me then?” If that was his whole deal with asking Dave there at least stick to the part. </p><p>-</p><p>Dave gives him a ghost of a smile. It seems fake as shit, but at least it’s something. Karkat still can’t catch a hint of his scent, and he feels like he’s flying blind, having such a big sense taken away. Karkat isn’t good with people even when he can sniff out how they’re feeling, let alone when he can’t. Though he has improved over the years, thankfully.</p><p>“Feel free to order wine if you’d like,” Karkat says, quirking his lips up. “I’m driving tonight, so I’ll have to pass.”</p><p>“My week was a nightmare,” he says, even though Dave didn’t ask. He rolls his eyes. “I had to blackmail Sollux into going home and getting some fucking sleep for once. And I’ll probably be getting bitched at about it for weeks.”</p><p>He picks up his menu and flips through it disinterestedly. He always gets the same thing, this is just something to busy his hands so he doesn’t start bouncing his leg nervously.</p><p>“Have you eaten here before?” Karkat asks. He’s suddenly drawing a blank on all the questions he wanted to ask Dave. Fuck, goddammit. Why is it only now that Karkat is realizing how fucking boring he is?</p><p>-</p><p>He’s driving and won’t drink even a little? What a square. Who the hell doesn’t drink if they think they’re about to get some? Is Vantas prone to whiskey knot? Maybe if Dave orders a bottle he can convince him to have some. </p><p>Sollux, Sollux… Dave can’t immediately place the name, but then he remembers it’s the name of the Alternia Bio lead scientist that was in the meeting the other day. </p><p>From that, Dave realizes Karkat seems pretty tight knit with his upper admin. They all seem friendly with each other. </p><p>Dave is not used to that. It’s a weakness in Vantas’s company, and Dave will exploit it one way or another. </p><p>“Yeah, once,” Dave answers honestly. It was, funny enough, the same kind of rodeo as this, except it was Dave that asked them and not the other way around. That venture had actually been very successful, leading to information that let Bro buy up a smaller company that was about to collapse. “Not gonna lie, this place does have some of the best risotto I’ve ever had in my life.” </p><p>This leads him to another opportunity to figure out Vantas’s true intentions. </p><p>“Interesting that you’d pick a place you’d never been to based solely off of reputation for a <i>date</i>. Do you make your choices for who you take on those dates the same way?” </p><p>In other words, Dave wants to know if he has a reputation. It wouldn’t be likely-- Dave has slept with a handful of executives and he doubts they run in the same circles, but he can’t figure out what the alternative is. </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Karkat tilts his head slightly, eyeing Dave thoughtfully. There seems to be more to the question than what’s on the surface, but he can’t for the life of him figure out what it is.</p><p>“I’ve been here a few times before,” he says. “I wouldn’t take you somewhere I didn’t know was good. At least not for a first date.” Not unless it was somewhere Dave suggested, anyway.</p><p>Sapori <i>is</i> good. The food is excellent, though the portions are small and pricey. The atmosphere is ritzy and quiet, with tasteful, if slightly ostentatious decor. At least he knows Dave will enjoy his food, if he orders the same thing as before.</p><p>Karkat furrows his eyebrows, trying to suss out what Dave means.</p><p>“I haven’t exactly dated in awhile,” he admits. “But I don’t know of any sort of reputation you have. I’m not interested in it, either.”</p><p>Wait, shit, does that sound bad? </p><p>“I mean, I’m not interested in whatever bullshit gossip there is,” he says quickly. “I don’t care about that, I just want to get to know <i>you</i>.”</p><p>As he’s internally panicking about if what he said was offensive, he gets a whiff of a sweet smell. For a moment he thinks it might be someone’s food, but then he realizes it’s coming from Dave and perks up slightly. It disappears quickly, but Karkat smiles across the table anyway. Was it a fluke, or is Dave starting to let his guard down?</p><p>-</p><p>Holy fuck, why does he care what Dave likes? Dave doesn’t care what he likes! </p><p>Vantas seems honestly confused by the question. It’s not rocket science, or even biomedical science which would be the more applicable comparison here. </p><p>But then he tells Dave that he hasn’t dated recently, which okay whatever maybe that’s why he’s DTF, but then he says he doesn’t know anything about Dave having a reputation. </p><p>Now he’s lost too. Okay, maybe Dave is just taking this from the wrong angle.</p><p>Then there’s that line again, the same from the other day. The idea that he wants to get to know Dave. </p><p>Which is just fucking absurd, unless...</p><p>It’s time to change tactics, that’s what that means. </p><p>“Oh, I get it now,” Dave smirks now and scoots forward in his chair until he’s closer to the table. Then he kicks out a foot under the privacy of the long white tablecloth until he finds one of Vantas’s legs. From there he runs the top of his shoe from the ankle of his pant leg up his calf towards his knee, which is about as far as he can get without having to contort himself in his seat.</p><p>“I want to get to know you too.”</p><p>- </p><p>Karkat jolts slightly in surprise as Dave’s foot finds his legs and drags upwards. His eyes widen and he feels his cheeks warm. He doesn’t know where the fuck this sudden change came from and it’s throwing him off. Dave is smirking at him attractively but it seems performative, fake, and there’s something in the back of his mind telling him that this isn’t right.</p><p>Karkat is obviously attracted to Dave, and yeah he would like to <i>get to know</i> him sexually, too, eventually. But Karkat has tried the whole ‘hopping into bed with strangers’ thing, quick flings based on physicality and nothing else. It was fun at the time but always left him feeling empty, never as good as when there was an emotional connection there.</p><p>He got shit for that, from some people. Alphas aren’t supposed to crave emotional fulfillment, or some other bullshit. Whatever. Karkat’s always been told he’s weird, for an alpha.</p><p>Karkat doesn’t want a fling with Dave. He wants to discover his quirks and flaws and what makes him laugh, wants to <i>know</i> him. Dave is his <i>soulmate</i>. Does Dave not realize this? Has he not put it together? </p><p>“Dave, I--” Karkat starts, but he’s interrupted by the arrival of the waiter. Dave’s foot drops to the floor.</p><p>They order a round of appetizers and their meals, and when the waiter leaves Karkat turns his attention back to Dave, smiling slightly.</p><p>“What do you do outside of work?” he asks curiously, electing to ignore what just happened. For now, at least.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave is just as surprised as Vantas appears when he jumps in response to his overture. This is definitely a move Dave has tried before with incredible success, but he never got this reaction before. Vantas frankly appears disturbed. </p><p>He apparently started to say something but the waiter comes by for orders.</p><p>Dave tacks on a bottle of wine to that order because fuck this entire meeting already. Why does Vantas have to bother with all this fronting? Some kind of twisted moral imperative? That’s a first. Guess that means Dave is actually going to have to suffer all this “getting to know you” bullshit just so Vantas doesn’t feel bad about himself later. </p><p>Which is incredibly stupid, considering he’s been assaulting Dave and everyone else with his scent which is probably an even worse asshole move. Has this guy just been up in his big CEO tower for so long that he doesn’t know any social norm at all?</p><p>Dave’s eyes almost roll through his skull when Vantas asks him what he does outside of work. </p><p><i>I’m trying to do you</i>, is what he wants to say, but that would actually be wrong because damn whatever Vantas tells himself, this is a business meeting for Dave.</p><p>Dave actually has a meager handful of hobbies when he’s not doing his best for Strider Tech and Bro.</p><p>“What do I do outside of work? Well, shit, I mean, I like video games but who doesn’t. I produce trap beats for rappers. Then I draw sometimes, but not well.” </p><p>It’s not actually all completely true. Dave makes beats under a DJ name and has a modest following on SoundCloud. He also is the anonymous creator of SBaHJ, a well followed purposefully shitty comic. He cannot reveal to the public who he is, however. Because of Strider Tech, of course. Bro wouldn’t allow him being associated with any of that. </p><p>Dave understood why that was... but it did bother him. He would never admit that, though. </p><p>Anyways it’s not like Vantas has heard of either his DJ name and music or comic, why would he have. He has way more important things to do than deep dive into the internet like that. </p><p>“Whadabout you,” Dave poses back in a mumble as he considers all of this. </p><p>-</p><p>Dave orders a bottle of wine, which makes Karkat raise his eyebrows, but he doesn’t comment on it. Dave also doesn’t try to molest him with his foot again, which is… good? Karkat’s still not sure about that.</p><p>He smiles slightly when Dave actually answers his question instead of brushing it off, and he’s able to smell Dave’s unique scent once more over the smells of everything else in the restaurant. It makes him want to purr, to lure more of that scent out of him, make him feel safe enough to let his guard down.</p><p>“I read a lot,” Karkat says. “I’m pretty shit at video games, but I like movies. I write, sometimes. But not well.” He quirks his lips up, using Dave’s words. “If I’m not working I’m usually running around dealing with the messes my idiot friends make, honestly.”</p><p>Well, that and working out. Karkat’s therapist put him on exercise as a way of anger management years ago and it just stuck. But he doesn’t want to sound like he’s bragging.</p><p>Overall he doesn’t lead a very interesting life. He hopes Dave doesn’t hold that against him.</p><p>“What kind of stuff do you draw?” he asks. Dave has long, delicate fingers. Artist’s fingers. It doesn’t surprise Karkat at all that he’s a creative type.</p><p>-</p><p>What the hell is this guy putting in his food if he doesn’t work out? Maybe his company makes some kind of roid he takes on the side? Dave admires his physique, but anyone would. It probably helps having the extra alpha hormones, too. Although it’s not like Dave couldn’t look like that, too. He has a fine muscular base from all the… exercise Bro had him do when he was younger.</p><p>Vantas also mentions his friends, which Dave assumes to be the same ones from work? </p><p>Dave has friends he seldom talks to. Some of them are his cousins, a few of which who don’t really talk to him as much anymore because of Bro. But that’s just part of life, right? People just are supposed to drift away. </p><p>He almost exhales in frustration when Karkat continues to ask him questions. </p><p>“It’s just some shitty comic, it’s nothing special. What do you write?” </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat raises an eyebrow at the way Dave disregards his work, but he doesn’t press. </p><p>“Fiction, mostly,” he says. “I’m kind of into sci-fi stuff right now. It’s just a hobby, though, nothing I’ll ever show to anyone. It’s pretty shitty, to be honest.”</p><p>He used to write exclusively romance. Stories about people falling in love in different ways, over and over again. He set that aside after his last disastrous relationship, though he still watches the occasional romcom when he wants to feel shittier than usual. </p><p>Maybe he’ll start getting into romance again, who knows? </p><p>The waiter arrives with their appetizers and Dave’s bottle of wine. Karkat has nothing against drinking but he hopes Dave doesn’t get <i>too</i> drunk. Though maybe it will help him loosen up a bit?</p><p>-</p><p>Dave feels compelled to say his writing probably isn’t really bad, but the topic is cut short by the waiter’s arrival. He has to go through the whole deal of smelling the wine for approval, which smells pungent and stings his nose compared to the scent of Vantas, which is still mostly what he can smell over anything else in the restaurant. </p><p>It’s so frustrating that he doesn’t <i>hate it</i> either. Does he hate that Vantas is doing it? Yes. But not the scent itself, which is obnoxious as fuck. </p><p>Karkat tells the server they can take his wine glass away, but Dave interrupts. </p><p>“Leave it,” he says. “Pour for both of us.” </p><p>He doesn’t take his eyes of Karkat as the waiter shrugs and follows suit. </p><p>Then they leave and his appetizer dish is in front of him, but he ignores it in favor of lifting his glass towards Vantas. </p><p>“A toast?” </p><p>
  <i>Try getting out of this one and not being an asshat, big boy.</i>
</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Karkat frowns. He can’t be positive, because Dave is still wearing his sunglasses, but he thinks Dave might be staring him down? Karkat is probably just anxious and paranoid. Nothing else about Dave is <i>combative</i> like that.</p><p>Karkat already told Dave he doesn’t plan on drinking tonight; any wine poured for him will go to waste. But a few sips won’t hurt, so Karkat lifts his glass.</p><p>“What are we toasting?” he asks.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave just smirks. Maybe it’s not Vantas that needs the liquoring up, it’s him. </p><p>“To getting laid, of course.” </p><p>Then he clinks his glass against Karkat’s, brings it up to his mouth, and knocks the whole thing back as fast as he can. </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat’s mouth drops slightly, shocked, as blood rushes to his face. He doesn’t even have time to compose himself before Dave is clinking their glasses together and downing his entire glass of wine. Karkat awkwardly takes a sip and sets his glass down.</p><p>His soulmate is very forward, that’s for sure. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. It’s… flattering, knowing that Dave is into him. And of <i>course</i> he wants to sleep with Dave. Dave is gorgeous, and he smells amazing, and Karkat’s instincts whisper <i>mineminemine</i> in his ear every time he thinks of him. Karkat wants to sink into Dave, wants Dave to sink into <i>him</i>, wants to wear his mark and be covered in his scent and curl up around him at night after a round of marathon sex.</p><p>Eventually.</p><p>Dave is younger than him; maybe that’s where this difference is coming from. He feels a bit like a jackass, but he knows how to assert boundaries, even if part of him is yelling at him that he’s crazy.</p><p>“How about another date first?” he suggests, smiling a bit sheepishly.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave sets the glass down and examines Karkat’s expression. </p><p>He looks… surprised. <i>Again</i>. </p><p>What the hell is so surprising about this if that’s the whole reason Dave is there?! </p><p>Then it’s Dave’s turn to be surprised again. </p><p>“A… Another <i>date</i>?” He sputters, feeling the tannins in the wine biting at the back of this tongue. “What do you mean another date?!” </p><p>-</p><p>Dave sounds… alarmed, and Karkat is once again hit with the feeling that he’s out of his depth. He swallows thickly, trying to keep his anxiety and confusion out of his scent.</p><p>“I mean another date,” he says plainly. “If this one goes well, and you’d be willing, I’d like to take you out again. That’s generally what people do, when they date.”</p><p>Karkat hasn’t been out of the dating scene <i>that</i> long. Although maybe… maybe Dave isn’t interested in being his soulmate. They’re rare and coveted, but there’s no law stating soulmates <i>have</i> to be together. Maybe Karkat’s already fucked this up without realizing.</p><p>“If you aren’t interested,” Karkat says, the words tasting bitter on his tongue, “then I won’t bother you outside of business dealings again.”</p><p>Will he be able to stick to that? He’ll have to. Karkat refuses to pressure his soulmate into anything.</p><p>-</p><p>“A-Another date…” Dave murmurs in shocked awe, leaning back in his chair now. </p><p>What Vantas is telling him just doesn’t process. </p><p>
  <i>That’s generally what people do, when they date.</i>
</p><p>But… </p><p>“You mean you didn’t… You didn’t ask me here because you wanted… You wanted….” In the light of this new information the words get stuck in his throat. </p><p>Dave puts his face in his hands and rubs at his eyes under his shades. He hadn’t had much chill at the start of this dinner, now he has absolutely none. </p><p>“Look, can you just cut the shit, okay? I get that it maybe makes you feel better about yourself or something but honestly this is getting fucking exhausting. I don’t fucking get it, by this point most alphas would have just paid the bill and walked out the door with me but oh man, not you, because just fuck me right? Or I guess not! You seem determined to make this the most confusing business exchange I’ve ever been a part of. Like I cannot find the ass up end about this with you. Come on, we all know how this is supposed to go-- I sleep with you and you get a hot gay slice of omega action because you alphas can’t get your brain out of your knots about where you stick it, and you give me information in exchange. That’s the deal, right?!” </p><p>That last part was a bit of a slip— most don’t realize it’s an exchange until it’s too late. </p><p>“Just, fuck, I cannot figure out your angle, alright? Most of you don’t make me do a thousand step waltz like this before we finally get to the sideways tango, because usually that’s the only thing you’re after!” </p><p>Dave is kind of breathing hard by the time he stops talking and he’s looking at Vantas with a nearly pleading expression, hands held out before him like he’s begging.</p><p>-</p><p>Karkat feels like he’s been doused in freezing water by the time Dave is done speaking, hurt spreading through him and into his scent before he can catch it.</p><p>Dave saw this as a <i>business exchange</i>. He thought Karkat wanted to sleep with him and in return he’d give information on his company.  Dave didn’t--he didn’t agree to this because he <i>liked</i> Karkat or cared that they’re soulmates; he’s just here because of that stupid fucking patent.</p><p>Karkat recalls, suddenly, Dave asking if Karkat knew about his <i>reputation</i>. Does that mean that Dave’s done this before? Does he do this a lot?</p><p>And he thinks Karkat’s making him jump through hoops, forcing him into something he doesn’t understand.</p><p>He takes a deep breath through his nose, which is a mistake, because he can smell Dave’s sweet scent, and this time he catches something like <i>distress</i> in it, and he wants to wrap him up in his arms until it goes away.</p><p>“I don’t have an <i>angle</i>,” Karkat says, trying to keep his voice from wavering. “I’m not--this isn’t a fucking business transaction, Dave, this is a <i>date</i>.”</p><p>He can feel a tell-tale pressure building behind his eyes and god fucking dammit. He needs to get out of here before he starts fucking bawling.</p><p>Karkat stands, stepping away from the table, shaking his head. </p><p>“This was a mistake,” he says. “Sorry. I’ll see you around.”</p><p>He leaves. The restaurant already has his payment information on file, so he doesn’t worry about that. He walks out the fancy double doors and down the steps and takes a breath of the night air and tries not to think about how much he’d rather be back inside, with Dave, trying to catch a hint of his scent across the table.</p><p>It fucking figures that even his soulmate wouldn’t want him.</p><p>-</p><p>As Dave finishes speaking, he becomes aware of a distinct change in the alpha’s scent— distress. Under that distress a variety of sensory information hits Dave that he isn’t prone to getting from others, like sadness, maybe even devastation, and even worse, the telltale scent of tears. </p><p>Vantas also looks beyond distraught, as if Dave just slapped him.</p><p>And then he’s gone. </p><p>Dave is left reeling in the wake of that departure with Vantas’s scent dispersing from the air, leaving that of the restaurant and it’s other patrons at the normal level he’s used to. He almost feels bereft without it.</p><p>It’s like a chasm has opened up inside Dave that wasn’t there before, and he realizes how empty he feels.</p><p>Maybe he’s always been this empty but he just never felt it before, not like this. </p><p>
  <i>This is a date.</i>
</p><p>The sentence still echoes in his ears long after Karkat is gone. Dave sits staring at the seat he had been occupying for far too long after, trying to comprehend what just happened. </p><p>Vantas had actually asked him on an actual date. Not some bullshit dinner and drinks before getting sloppy in the sack, but an actual, honest romantically-intended date. </p><p>With <i>feelings</i>. </p><p>Karkat-- Vantas asked Dave out because he liked Dave. </p><p>Well jokes on him, because Dave doesn’t fucking like guys! It’s <i>unnatural</i>. </p><p>All of this was Vantas’s mistake. </p><p>Dave just can’t figure out why he asked him out of all people. Like what, did he see him at that first meeting and become immediately enamored with Dave’s fine looks? Dave couldn’t blame him for that. It would make sense, because that was when Dave started sensing his scent more strongly than anyone or anything else. But even then wouldn’t it have been readily obvious to other people? How did he do that? Dave again wonders if Karkat had drugged him somehow… </p><p>It just. None of it makes sense. </p><p>Whatever, all of this was Vantas’s issue. </p><p>Dave didn’t like guys and that was that.</p><p>When Dave finally walks out of the restaurant into the night, the look on Vantas’s face right before he left is still imprinted in his mind. The anguish he saw then didn’t belong over those handsome features. </p><p>Wait. </p><p>Hot shame immediately wells up in his stomach, worsening the nausea he realizes he’s also feeling.</p><p>Instead of pulling out his phone, Dave turns on the street corner and decides he’s going to take a walk around. His mind is racing. He almost wishes he could go back and finish off the bottle of wine himself, but it’s too late now. </p><p>Dating the same primary sex was wrong, especially between alphas and omegas. </p><p>Unfortunately, having that viewpoint, among a few others, had led to Dave losing one of his closest friends, his cousin Rose. The last time he saw her replays in his head too, now. </p><p> </p><p>She asks to meet him at a coffee shop.</p><p>“How is the business,” Rose asks him.</p><p>“Fine,” Dave says. “How is writing going?”</p><p>“Wonderful, honestly.”</p><p>“Great. Well, are you going to beat around the bush or are you going to tell me what you asked me here for?”</p><p>Rose had become somewhat estranged ever since her presentation as a female alpha. Dave still talked to her, but she did not speak to Bro.</p><p>She inhales and then exhales heavily before squaring herself to Dave. “Dave, I found my soulmate.”</p><p>Wait, what?</p><p>“You… You what? You found your soulmate?” Dave asks incredulously.</p><p>“I know, I know, it’s exceptionally rare.”</p><p>“Well, uh, damn, congrats. Who’s the lucky guy?”</p><p>At that Rose frowns. “Dave… Well, I suppose there’s no keeping this from you any further: My soulmate is a woman.”</p><p>Dave pauses, gears turning in his head. “Then Rose, you know she can’t be your soulmate.”</p><p>Rose’s face turns more upset. “Don’t tell me you still believe all that nonsense Bro talks about.”</p><p>“He’s a multi-billion dollar business owner, Rose. Bro’s not an idiot. It’s not nonsense.”</p><p>With that she groans and throws her hands up. “Bro is a delusional megalomaniac that gets threatened when a dog pisses in front of his house! He’s been preaching defunct information for years! I don’t know how you possibly still buy into that!”</p><p>“Because he’s right!”</p><p>“No, you’ve been brainwashed, and you don’t even realize it’s happened to you!” </p><p>“I am <i>not</i> brainwashed.”</p><p>“You are, and you’re beyond saving too, Dave. It truly breaks my heart.” </p><p>“Yeah, well. I could say the same about you.” </p><p> </p><p>It was clear the reasons why Rose hadn’t spoken to him since.</p><p>Dave… Dave wasn’t brainwashed. He knew what he knew, there were scientists out there that said the same. </p><p>When Dave finally gets home that night, the first thing he does is go on his computer. He finds the video he’s looking for quickly, a controversial documentary.</p><p>It’s not really as comforting a watch as Dave had hoped it would be. </p><p>“<i>Secondary gender is a phenomenon seen only in humans. Then when you look back at historic cave artwork, most art still depicts a male and female. This has led us to believe that secondary gender is actually a result of convergent, not divergent, evolution.</i>” </p><p>Even as the night grows late and Dave finishes watching, a fine thread of doubt seems to have knit its way into his chest. </p><p>Dave does what he always has done when something contradicts Bro: he ignores it. </p><p> </p><p>When Dave goes to sleep that night, the only thing he can see in his mind’s eye is Vantas’s face, both the elated smile he gave him when Dave walked into that restaurant and the pained expression he gave him when he left. </p><p> </p><p>Over the weekend Dave can’t stop thinking about him. That gaping hole inside his chest doesn’t go away. It seems to get worse as the hours wear on. Dave doesn’t know why he’s so <i>sad</i>. </p><p>It must be Vantas’s fault. Whatever it was with the scent he did to Dave, he must have done something else to him too. Why else would the alpha still be on his mind after all that? </p><p>When Dave wakes up Sunday morning with a start out of silky smooth dreams where he was lost in the embrace of large arms and a man with dark features, he realizes he feels disappointed that it wasn’t real. </p><p>
  <i>No.</i>
</p><p>He tears the covers off and grabs his phone, ready to go off at Vantas right then and there. </p><p>This is all his fault. This is all his fucking fault. </p><p>He holds back, because his calendar reminds him that their next planned patent meeting is coming up. He’s going to see Vantas very soon. This will be his chance to get to the bottom of this. </p><p>Dave doesn’t give a single fuck about what happens between Strider Tech and Alternia Bio at the meeting, he only wants to know what the hell Vantas did to him and how to make it go away.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Karkat goes home. He strips out of his suit and grabs the bottle of vodka he keeps in the freezer for rare occasions, not bothering to grab a glass or mix himself a drink. His phone dings with a text message and he does something he hasn’t done in years: he turns it off.</p>
<p>He spends Friday night drinking alone, curled up by himself on the couch and watching movies he used to love, because if he’s going to be fucking miserable might as well go all the way. He sobs pathetically into his soft, baggy sweater and wonders what the fuck he ever did to deserve this. He passes out somewhere around one in the morning, the room tilting around him.</p>
<p>The next day he wakes up late. His eyes feel swollen and sore, and his head is killing him. It takes every ounce of willpower in him to get up and grab a glass of water and some tylenol.</p>
<p>He’s inundated by texts when he turns his phone back on. To everyone asking how the date went he sends a bland response of <i>we didn’t have anything in common</i>. Then he cancels his evening pans and spends the rest of the day curled up dejectedly in bed, the scent of his own sadness surrounding him.</p>
<p>Sunday is spent much the same, only he convinces himself to answer emails and call his dad. He was supposed to visit but well. He’s not leaving the house until he absolutely has to. His dad picks up on something being off but he doesn’t ask about it and Karkat doesn’t tell. When he takes his sleeping pills that night he feels the tiniest bit better.</p>
<p>Monday dawns bright, bringing with it the work week and plunging Karkat into a shitty mood when he remembers that he has to meet with Dave again today. Maybe he won’t show up. Maybe it’ll just be the lawyer, or the older Strider. He’s not sure if that would be worse or better.</p>
<p>Karkat goes through the motions. He showers, makes coffee, eats breakfast. Gets dressed in another fucking suit. He has to spend a long time gathering himself before he walks out the door, making sure he has a firm grasp on his scent. Karkat doesn’t want anyone noticing how fucking devestated he is, especially not if they’re going to direct any kind of blame at Dave.</p>
<p>It’s Karkat’s fault, for being such a fucking idiot. He should have known better.</p>
<p>Nepeta is her bubbly self. Terezi is terrifying, as usual. Sollux is an asshole who refuses to come to another meeting. </p>
<p>Just another fucking day, only this time Karkat has to exist with the knowledge that his soulmate--the person who was made for <i>him</i>, who is supposed to make him whole and who he’s supposed to do the same for--doesn’t want him.</p>
<p>“Ready?” Nepeta asks him as they walk into the meeting room.</p>
<p>“Your terrible date won’t affect this meeting too bad, will it?” Terezi asks, flipping through a folder. Nepeta elbows her obviously and Karkat sighs.</p>
<p>“It’ll be fine,” he assures them. He doesn’t believe it himself, but if he says it confidently enough maybe he’ll start to. </p>
<p>He checks his watch, double checks that he has his scent under control, and leans against the wall to wait.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>The anger only builds as Dave’s morning goes on. When he shoves through one of the glass doors into Alternia Bio, he’s not even thinking about the patent meeting. The only thought on his mind is that he’s going to give Vantas <i>hell</i> for whatever he did to him. He won’t leave until he finds out, either. If Vantas doesn’t want to spill he’ll have to call security to drag Dave out. </p>
<p>The Strider Tech lawyer and scientist are looking at Dave with mild concern as they go up in the elevator but Dave ignores them. Though he still has his scent under control, he’s gritting his teeth and his muscles are all tensed. He looks like he’s ready to spring, and honestly he’s pretty close to punching the next person who even looks at him the wrong way. </p>
<p>Ideally that person would be Vantas. </p>
<p>Dave shoves into the meeting room, and-- </p>
<p><i>Karkat</i>. </p>
<p>His scent fills his nose again, and he realizes how much he missed it, how much he’d been craving it-- Like a drug addict who needed a fix.</p>
<p>
  <i>This is Vantas’s fault.</i>
</p>
<p>But it… His scent. The distress from the other day still underlies it, beckoning Dave to come and fix it, to comfort-- <i>No</i>. </p>
<p>His eyes go right to Vantas, and though he’s still wearing the shades to cover his sleepless eyes, he knows the asshole can tell he’s glaring at him. </p>
<p>“Let’s fucking get this over with,” he growls and goes to sit at the table again. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Karkat isn’t expecting the <i>anger</i> the permeates Dave’s entire being as he enters the room. Immediately he wants to try to soothe it, but he pushes that down and away. Dave isn’t interested in him and that fucking hurts but Karkat won’t go where he isn’t wanted. He doesn’t know what the fuck Dave has to be angry about anyway, and why he’s choosing to aim it at Karkat.</p>
<p>He grits his teeth, gives Dave a sharp nod, and sits. Across the table and as far from Dave as he can, on Terezi’s right side. It puts him across from the Strider Tech scientist, who looks vaguely relieved, probably because Sollux isn’t here to tear him a new asshole.</p>
<p>Terezi and the Strider Tech lawyer get into it. Immediately Karkat can tell that this meeting is going to be about as productive as the last two. Nepeta shoots him a few odd looks from Terezi’s other side. Karkat is usually at least somewhat involved in these proceedings, but today he keeps his mouth shut, speaking only when Terezi asks him a direct question. He feels Dave’s glare on him the entire time, smells his anger and frustration in the air like a coming storm. </p>
<p>He ignores it all to the best of his ability. Keeps the hurt and sadness out of his scent, determined to be professional, if nothing else.</p>
<p>Finally, after about an hour of back and forth, Terezi leans back in her chair and calmly says, “I think we’ve accomplished all we can, here. Feel free to schedule another meeting on your way out if you’re willing to treat this <i>seriously</i>, otherwise we’ll be seeing you in court.”</p>
<p>The Strider Tech lawyer opens his mouth to argue, but Karkat stands, glaring his best imposing alpha glare, which isn’t difficult with the mood he’s in. The other alpha shuts his mouth. </p>
<p>“An intern will show you out,” Nepeta says sweetly, glancing up from where she’s tapping away on her phone.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Dave barely pays attention. He’s completely focused on Vantas, who decided to sit as far away from him as possible because he’s a <i>coward</i>. </p>
<p>Suddenly the meeting is over, and they are about to be sent out?</p>
<p>Dave shoves himself to standing. </p>
<p>“Oh, <i>fuck no</i>. You don’t get to act like you’re the high and mighty group here when your CEO played the naughtiest trick in the book!” </p>
<p>Everyone in the room looks at him in surprise at the outburst. Dave vaguely realizes he is behaving like a raving, paranoid lunatic, but he is far past caring. This has gone on for too long without being called out. </p>
<p>“Don’t act like you don’t know what’s going on here, or fuck, maybe you don’t! But <i>he knows what he did to me</i>.”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>There’s a long, tense moment of silence where everyone stares at Dave in shock, Karkat included. Nepeta is the first to recover, tapping furiously at her phone, likely messaging someone to get security. Karkat takes a great breath through his nose. Dave’s rage is suffocating.</p>
<p>“What the fuck are you talking about?” he demands, the first words he’s said to Dave since their disastrous sham of a date. “What the fuck did I do to you?”</p>
<p>Is Dave pissed because Karkat wouldn’t sell out his company to sleep with him? That Karkat ditched him at Sapori? He has no fucking clue what’s behind this outburst and he’s frankly getting sick of Dave confusing him.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Vantas looks just as shocked as everyone else in the room. Doubt blooms in Dave’s chest, but it’s too late, he can’t back down now.</p>
<p>“No— don’t you try this shit with me now. You know what you did to me.” </p>
<p>He realizes with the other Strider Tech representatives in the room he doesn’t want to admit it out loud. It’s humiliating what Vantas has done to him. </p>
<p>“You know what? This is between you and me. I want to talk to you alone. <i>Now</i>.” </p>
<p>He is so not on his turf, and he is thus in no place to make demands. Damn it all, if Dave has to reveal the dirty trick to everyone in the room he will but he sure doesn’t want to. </p>
<p>The idea of being alone with Vantas again, though… He hadn’t considered the implications of that. Dave shouldn’t be so excited at the idea of being lost in his and only his scent again. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Karkat’s lips thin. He doesn’t know if being alone with Dave is a good idea, but there’s an undercurrent in Dave’s voice that makes him waver, and the scent of <i>shame</i> is what puts him over the edge.</p>
<p>“Karkat,” Nepeta says, frowning. “Security will be here soon.”</p>
<p>“It’s fine,” he says, shaking his head at her. “We’ll talk. Show the other two to the lobby.”</p>
<p>She doesn’t look happy about it, but she ushers everyone to the door. Terezi cocks an eyebrow in his direction and he knows she’ll be prying into his business later. He doesn’t know if he’ll tell her the truth. People don’t generally go around admitting that their soulmate rejected them.</p>
<p>When everyone has left the room, Karkat looks at Dave, crossing his arms defensively.</p>
<p>“Talk,” he says. “What the fuck did I fucking do to you?”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>“Don’t play dumb,” Dave grits out. The fucking nerve of him to act like he doesn’t know. “You did something to me. You drugged me, or something.”</p>
<p>When Vantas doesn’t look any less bewildered, Dave feels a spark of worry. </p>
<p>Every moment in just his scent again makes the anger leak out of him, replaced by a sense of calm he can’t fight out of his system. </p>
<p>“Look, you’re the only thing I can smell when I walk into this room. I don’t know how anyone else doesn’t notice it. And you smell so good to me I can barely stand it! And you’re… you’re the only thing I can think about. It’s like you’re in my head or something! But I… But I don’t like guys, okay? I know something is weird here, I’ve never felt like this before. I just… Tell me what you did to me. Make it stop… <i>Please</i>.” Dave can’t help the edge of desperation in his voice, nor the waver in it when he stops speaking. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p>“You think I <i>drugged</i> you?” Karkat asks, flabbergasted. </p>
<p>There’s too many emotions swirling around in him to pick out just one. It’s a confusing messy jumble, and Karkat doesn’t know what to do with it.</p>
<p>“I didn’t--how the fuck would that work?” Karkat demands. “How could a drug make you sensitive to a single person’s scent? This isn’t--you’re talking about a fucking <i>love potion</i>! This isn’t Harry Potter!”</p>
<p>The longer he talks the more frustrated he becomes. He wants to tug at his hair and snarl, wants to push Dave against the wall of windows and kiss some fucking <i>sense</i> into him.</p>
<p>“You think I’m not in the exact same boat? That I’m not stuck thinking about someone who doesn’t fucking want me 24/7?” he demands harshly. “I didn’t fucking do anything to you. I can’t ‘make it stop.’ We’re <i>soulmates</i>, you fucking idiot.”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>As Vantas speaks, Dave realizes his own words, when posed back at him like that, sound absolutely ridiculous. </p>
<p>Then Vantas finally says it.</p>
<p>
  <i>We’re soulmates.</i>
</p>
<p>Dave stares at him, entirely stunned. His mind goes into overdrive.</p>
<p>It’s not possible. It’s not… Vantas can’t be his soulmate. That’s just. It’s just a fact.</p>
<p>Dave doesn’t like males, and even worse, he’s a male omega, an abomination, a singular representation of the decline of society.</p>
<p>Even though male omegas make up roughly ten percent of the population, considering betas are fifty percent….</p>
<p>No, his existence was <i>wrong</i>, and the best he could do was support his brother. Dave didn’t get a happy ending, he didn’t get to end up with anyone, he didn’t get to be loved and love someone in return. </p>
<p>… Right?</p>
<p>But in those few seconds he stands there staring at Vantas with the words ‘<i>We’re soulmates</i>’ echoing in his ears, he can’t deny how <i>right</i> it feels. He can’t describe why. He just knows intrinsically that Vantas is supposed to slot right into his life, a perfect fit brought about by fate. They were always meant to collide into each other. </p>
<p>How could he have missed it when it was so obvious? </p>
<p>Dave is immediately filled with shame he cannot fight back. It feels like part of his brain is fighting with the other half. </p>
<p>He can feel himself starting to panic as he stands there, something he hasn’t done in awhile. He’s not even paying attention to his scent. </p>
<p>“That’s not,” Dave starts and his voice immediately dies out. Speaking against his tight throat and quickened breathing is so difficult. He’s so close to losing whatever composure he has left. “That’s not possible. We can’t be… We can’t be…” He can’t say the word, he’ll fall apart if he does. “<i>We aren’t.</i>” </p>
<p>Dave has no support for why they aren’t. He just knows they can’t be. </p>
<p>But why does saying it hurt so much?</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Dave’s mouth falls open and the air quickly fills with the thick scent of panic. It hits Karkat like a truck and his eyes widen at how <i>strong</i> it is, even with Dave’s scent blockers. A calming rumble starts up in Karkat’s chest without him even realizing what’s happening. His soulmate is in distress and Karkat has to <i>do</i> something.</p>
<p>But then Dave says <i>we can’t be</i>, a flat denial, no explanation, and Karkat’s frustration grows even as the rumble gets louder.</p>
<p>“Why <i>not</i>?” he demands.</p>
<p>Dave said he doesn’t like men. Is that why? Dave can’t help what he’s attracted to but--they don’t <i>have</i> to fuck. It would be unusual, certainly, for a pair of soulmates, but Karkat will accept whatever Dave is willing to give, if he’ll give anything at all.</p>
<p>“What the fuck is so wrong with me?” Karkat asks. He hates how pathetic and hurt his voice sounds, how his words sound with that fucking placating vibration in them. “You don’t even <i>know</i> me.”</p>
<p>Dave thought Karkat would give him information in return for a quick fuck. That Karkat would fucking <i>drug</i> him. Dave doesn’t know him at all.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Vantas starts rumbling and Dave hates how instantly comforted it makes him feel. It makes him want to nuzzle into the alphas neck. Dave also knows he shouldn’t want that! He doesn’t want it! </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The instinctual drives are at war with his conscious thoughts, wherein he wants desperately to dive into the comfort Karkat offers while also completely repelled by the idea of being in his arms. </p>
<p>All of these conflicting thoughts and emotions are nearly too much for Dave. </p>
<p>Then Karkat asks him that question. <i>What the fuck is so wrong with me?</i> </p>
<p>Dave almost wants to laugh bitterly and say the same back rhetorically. Dave knows everything is so wrong with himself. </p>
<p>But when Karkat asks him… The first word that comes to Dave’s mind is <i>nothing</i>. </p>
<p>Nothing is wrong with Karkat. Now that Dave knows what he knows, everything that has happened over the last few weeks he sees in a new light. </p>
<p>Karkat had actually wanted to date him. He hadn’t pushed to sleep with Dave, even when Dave gave him every opportunity to do so. He’d been… kind. </p>
<p>Dave was not used to kind. He didn’t deserve kind. </p>
<p>Some thoughts come up to fight against these, but Dave realizes those sentiments belong to Bro. It is hard to keep them back, not when he’s been repeating those twisted words to himself for so long. Like the idea that a male who liked another male was a degenerate. </p>
<p>A dull ache rises in his chest, one that he thinks will not be going away anytime soon. He’s so desperately confused. </p>
<p>
  <i>We can’t be soulmates...</i>
</p>
<p><i>But we are.</i> </p>
<p>Dave fights desperately to keep the pathetic tears out of his eyes. Shame washes over him and speaking is a struggle. </p>
<p>“Nothing is wrong with you,” he grits out. “Men shouldn’t date other men. Male omega’s…. Shouldn’t exist.” Saying it out loud almost breaks him. These thoughts he has held as truth for so long feel like daggers when they come up through his throat to be spoken aloud. “You’re… There’s nothing wrong with you, okay? I-I’m the one who’s wrong.”</p>
<p>Dave starts stepping backwards and away from Karkat. The more space between him the better. </p>
<p>“You’re right, I don’t know you. It should stay that way.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The smell of shame and hatred is so thick that Karkat can taste it on his tongue, feel it in his throat. Dave’s words wash away his anger and frustration and then all he really feels is… sad. Sad for his soulmate, who hates himself so much, who must have had <i>someone</i> telling him these things long and loud enough for him to believe it.</p>
<p>“You’re not <i>wrong</i>, Dave,” Karkat says. He watches as Dave backs away and he wants to leap over the table and grab him, stop him from going anywhere until he stops smelling so fucking devastated. But he plants his feet and remains still, not making any move that might be viewed as threatening or dominating. Dave is scared enough already.</p>
<p>“Male omegas deserve to exist just as much as anyone else,” he says firmly. Dave shakes his head silently, moving away, towards the door, without turning his back on Karkat. </p>
<p>And then Dave is gone, disappearing out the door and slamming it shut behind him, leaving Karkat alone with his distressed scent lingering in the air. Karkat grits his teeth and grabs onto the back of the chair in front of him, trying to calm himself, to stop the rumble in his chest. Nothing makes sense.</p>
<p>If Dave doesn’t think men should date other men, if he isn’t attracted to men, then why would he be willing to sleep with Karkat in the first place, even for information? If he thought it was so fucking bad why do it at all?</p>
<p><i>Male omegas shouldn’t exist</i>. That’s some purist bullshit talk. Karkat can’t stand to hear about it in a regular situation because it pisses him off so much but someone has been pouring that bullshit into Dave. Someone’s been <i>hurting</i> his soulmate. <i>His</i> omega.</p>
<p>What the fuck is he going to do?</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Dave escapes from the meeting room into the hallway and from there he finds an adequately distant stairwell. Backing away from and leaving Karkat was so difficult, as if every cell in his body was telling him to stay while his brain was telling him to run. </p>
<p>Tears threaten to spill but he doesn’t let them. Instead he catches his breath, lungs sucking in normal air that isn’t filled with the scent of Karkat.</p>
<p>Dave misses it already. He feels simultaneously worse and better now that it’s gone. Now that he’s out of that comforting scent, away from Karkat who was <i>rumbling</i> at him, the shame doubles down and hits even harder. </p>
<p>Alphas only do that with mates… or their offspring. </p>
<p>That meant Karkat was <i>infantilizing</i> him.</p>
<p>… Dave also knows that’s not true at all, but he can’t admit it. Considering the alternative would make him sick. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dave sends a message to the scientist and lawyer to disperse them. He doesn’t apologize or explain the outburst, and he’s sure they can all be professionals about it the next time he sees them.</p>
<p>Dave tried not to think about how it’s very likely the next time he’ll see them is at the next meeting with Alternia.</p>
<p>When he’s finally composed enough, Dave goes right home. The update that things with Alternia are not going well is not something he can face Bro over yet. He may pay for that decision tomorrow.</p>
<p>Keeping himself together as he leaves Alternia and heads back to his apartment is a struggle. He hates this-- all these emotions washing through him, it makes him feel weak. He can hear someone sneering <i>pf, omega hormones</i> in his ear. </p>
<p>It’s only when he’s home that Dave allows himself to collapse. He falls on the couch hyperventilating and sobbing into his hands. All he wants right now is to be held by <i>his alpha</i>. </p>
<p>Dave hates himself for wanting it and is nauseous for even thinking it. </p>
<p>He hates the pitying gaze Karkat was looking at him with, the way he talked to him as if Dave was some wounded animal. </p>
<p>Eventually he manages to calm down, if only by convincing himself he needs to act like an adult and stop having a childish tantrum <i>over a boy</i>. That doesn’t help much, but it at least gets him off the couch. </p>
<p>The rest of the day is spent trying and failing to do work from home. Dave gets almost nothing done. </p>
<p>He just can’t stop thinking about Karkat. </p>
<p>His chest feels like it’s in physical pain. </p>
<p>Is this what heartbreak feels like? </p>
<p>Dave wants desperately for it to stop. Nothing makes sense anymore. </p>
<p>Because even if Karkat did actually want him… Why would he? </p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Dave remembers the first time he slept with another rival company executive. It hadn’t been terrible. </p>
<p>He’d hoped that with what he found out for Strider Tech, Bro would actually congratulate him. Dave just wanted to be of use to him now that there was so little else he could offer. </p>
<p>Bro had laughed at him. <i>I knew all you’d ever be good for was opening your legs up. That alpha makes me sick, he’ll get everything that’s coming for him.</i> </p>
<p>It reminded Dave of his place, that he was <i>lucky</i> to have this position and to have made it this far. Any male omega who had made it this far would say the same, he’s sure of it. </p>
<p>The next Bro had him do that, he remembers laying there feeling dirty. He was nothing more than a quick, convenient fuck for those people. To Bro… he was something worse. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bro is not happy when Dave reports to him the next day. </p>
<p>“Where the fuck were you yesterday,” Bro asks. </p>
<p>Dave ignores him and gets right to the point. He knows by now that trying to explain will just lead to worse outcomes. “Alternia wants another meeting, and if the issue isn’t resolved by then they will be escalating to litigation.”</p>
<p>“If they want another meeting, that means you didn’t do your job,” Bro says coldly. Dave feels lucky that Bro is moderately distracted by something he’s working on. But he knows what Bro is really talking about. “If you can’t do that, what are you even fucking good for? Why do I even keep you around?”</p>
<p>Dave’s blood runs cold. </p>
<p><i>What are you even fucking good for?</i> </p>
<p>Nothing. It's a well known fact that nearly all male omegas are essentially sterile. </p>
<p>Doesn’t Karkat realize he’s just wasting his time? He knows that, right? </p>
<p>No, he can’t think about Karkat right now. Not around Bro. Not like Bro can hear his thoughts or anything like that, but fuck, if he knew at all… </p>
<p>“I’ll take care of it,” Dave says, the words forced out. </p>
<p>“I’m sure you will,” Bro says, and doesn’t speak again. </p>
<p>Dave takes his leave. </p>
<p>It’s really coming down to the wire-- unless the lawyer has a breakthrough, they’re going to lose. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dave is at a loss with what to do. It’s not like he can sneak into Karkat’s house, or the Alternia building. He could try to pay someone off. </p>
<p>Trying to come up with a new plan that doesn’t involve sleeping with Karkat or finding another way to catch him off guard shouldn’t be so difficult, but it is. Thinking about it just makes Dave think about Karkat. </p>
<p>What if he did ask to come over and talk to Karkat? What then? What if he could find a way to progress things? </p>
<p>Dave finds he doesn’t hate the idea of sleeping with Karkat as much as he should. Much the opposite, actually. A warm, squirmy feeling rises up in his stomach at the thought. </p>
<p>Would it really be so terrible if Dave found himself in sheets with Karkat and didn’t hate it? </p>
<p><i>Omega slut</i>. </p>
<p>Yeah, it probably would be. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Dave dreams about him again that night. He dreams about being held tightly, adored, and kissed deeply. He’s nesting with Karkat, he’s happy and safe and loved. </p>
<p>When he wakes up his cheeks are wet. It felt so real, and the dream refuses to be forgotten even hours later. Dave considers that he’s grieving for something he can never have and shouldn’t want. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p>His dreams the next night are different. Dave dreams about need and desire and warm slickness between his legs. He dreams about <i>his alpha</i> being there to take care of him. </p>
<p>Waking up the next day, he feels empty and guilty and dirty. </p>
<p>He can’t keep doing this. The dreams are only getting worse. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p>After one more night of intense dreams that turns into devastation upon waking up, Dave knows what he has to do. He knows that he needs help. </p>
<p>The person who can help him probably doesn’t want to talk to him, however. </p>
<p>But he can’t do this anymore. He just… He just needs a few questions answered. </p>
<p>It takes almost an hour to convince himself to send the first messages.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>DS: hey<br/>
DS: i know you dont want to talk to me right now<br/>
DS: but rose i really need your help</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She doesn’t respond for fifteen minutes.</p>
<p>His hands are shaking as he composes the next few messages.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>DS: look<br/>
DS: i think found my soulmate alright<br/>
DS: and its a guy</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He did it. He finally said it, admitted to someone else that Karkat could be his soulmate. His heart is swooping. Dave also feels like he might have another breakdown. </p>
<p>Her response is swift after that.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>RL: I can’t say I was expecting to hear from you but this is certainly an interesting development.<br/>
DS: i knew this was a bad idea<br/>
RL: No, no, I apologize. I’ll do my best to withhold any smug behavior or ‘I told you so’s.<br/>
DS: great start<br/>
RL: Thank you.<br/>
RL: In all seriousness, I suppose congratulations are in order.<br/>
RL: Congratulations. Many go their entire lives wishing for the serendipitous meeting of one’s soulmate.<br/>
RL: Although I have a feeling you aren’t particularly thrilled about this.<br/>
DS: look<br/>
DS: i dont know if hes actually my soulmate<br/>
RL: Interesting.<br/>
RL: What makes you say that? I for one remember the meeting of my soulmate to be almost undeniable.<br/>
DS: yeah thats kind of what i was hoping to ask you<br/>
DS: how did you know<br/>
DS: i mean how did you know she was your soulmate<br/>
RL: This is rather rich coming from you, but I’ll indulge you. It was because the first time we touched it felt like coming home.<br/>
RL: I was in denial a fair bit at first, but all the signs were there. We became extremely sensitive to each other’s presence and scents. I thought about nothing but her for many days and nights. Being around her but not with her was both heaven and torture.<br/>
RL: My presence eventually triggered a heat in her and that was when I knew this was beyond any kind of romantic or even sexual tension. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Well, besides that being way more than what Dave wanted to hear from a family member, it’s also is terrifying. All of that is so familiar to Dave.</p>
<p>Except the last part. Dave has never had a true heat-- even his presentation was stagnated enough for him to begin suppressants, which he had been on since. He doesn’t know what he’d do if Karkat triggered a heat in him, he can’t even fathom the concept. Maybe Rose’s omega hadn’t been on suppressants? He doesn’t want to ask though, what she’s said already is agonizing enough. </p>
<p>He also can’t believe all the shit he’s said to Rose. She didn’t deserve that. Dave had heard about how happy she was now through the grapevine. She’s probably withholding from saying so right now. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>RL: Have I scared you off? </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dave realizes he hasn’t replied in several minutes. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>DS: sorry<br/>
DS: this is just a lot<br/>
RL: An apology from you? Am I dreaming?<br/>
DS: look i dont actually know if he is<br/>
RL: Hm. I legitimately believe you could win Olympic medals in both the sport of denial and mental gymnastics. 10s across the board, I’m sure.<br/>
DS: could you not right now<br/>
DS: for the love of fuck please not<br/>
RL: Oh I’m sorry, am I not allowed to be a little upset you’ve suddenly up and changed your tune after we haven’t spoken in months? Last we spoke you called my relationship, oh, what was the exact verbiage you used? ‘You know she can’t be your soulmate’?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rose is right. </p>
<p>It’s just… It’s too much. It’s all so twisted up in his head. </p>
<p>If he tries to tell himself Karkat is his soulmate, the joy he feels is overshadowed by how much he hates himself for it. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>DS: im sorry<br/>
DS: i shouldn’t have said that to you<br/>
DS: i have to go ill talk to you later </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He ignores any other messages he gets from her. Maybe they’ll be able to talk about it again sometime, but not now. He’s not ready. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Instead, Dave looks at his messages from the other week with Karkat. He starts to write to him.</p>
<p>DS: can we talk</p>
<p>Dave immediately deletes it. He has so much to say to him and no clue how to say it. </p>
<p>Like <i>I think you’re my soulmate and it terrifies me.</i></p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Nepeta ambushes him as he heads to his office, her eyes full of concern. He can only shake his head at her before he closes the door.</p>
<p>He refuses to talk about it. Terezi tries to get it out of him later and he walks away. None of his other employees--if they notice his demeanor at all--care enough to ask, or are too intimidated to try. When Karkat goes down to the lab to update Sollux about the lack of progress, he finds himself locked out, even when he swipes his keycard.</p>
<p>“Sollux you jackass, let me in,” Karkat yells through the door.</p>
<p>“I could smell your depression stink coming five minutes ago,” Sollux shouts back. “You’re not getting in here.”</p>
<p>“Let me in!” Karkat growls, smacking the door.</p>
<p>“No!” Sollus yells.</p>
<p>This continues for an embarrassing amount of time. The lab assistants barely notice, far too used to this bullshit, and by the time Sollux finally allows him in, Karkat is more pissed than upset, which was probably Sollux’s goal in the first place. Karkat still punches him hard in the shoulder and Sollux snaps his teeth at him.</p>
<p>He can’t focus at all for the rest of the day. Dave’s words repeat themselves over and over in his head and he cycles through sorrow and rage and hurt and the overwhelming desire to just <i>be there</i> for Dave, to hold him and support him and soothe his pain and panic.</p>
<p>Karkat is fucking exhausted by the time he goes home. He usually stays late to answer emails and shit but he goes home at the time he’s <i>supposed</i> to, for once, which makes Nepeta eye him worriedly. She doesn’t comment on it, thank god. She pats him on the shoulder and tells him to get some rest and Karkat feels <i>irritation</i> rise up in him, that he has an omega’s scent on him that isn’t Dave’s. He almost growls at her.</p>
<p>Fuck, he needs to get it together.</p>
<p>He orders out, because making food seems like So Much, right now, and as he’s waiting for it to arrive he stares at Dave’s number in his phone. Several times he types up a message.</p>
<p>KV: ARE YOU OKAY?</p>
<p>KV: WHO TOLD YOU THOSE THINGS?</p>
<p>KV: DO YOU NEED TO TALK?</p>
<p>KV: NONE OF THAT SHIT WAS TRUE, YOU KNOW THAT RIGHT?</p>
<p>He deletes all of them.</p>
<p>It sets the tone for the rest of his week. He thinks about Dave constantly. He dreams about him; about holding him close, scenting him, building a nest with him. He dreams about marking each other, about fucking Dave slow and sweet, about Dave fucking <i>him</i> fast and rough. He wakes up with sticky shorts and a growing ache in his chest, a desperate neediness that pricks at his eyes and makes his pillow damp.</p>
<p>He doesn’t talk to anyone about it. What is he supposed to say? <i>My soulmate is a homophobe but I think it’s because someone is hurting him</i>? <i>My soulmate hates me because of something I can’t control but I’m pretty sure he hates himself more</i>? </p>
<p>Would this be a problem if he were a female alpha? Or does Dave think they shouldn’t exist either?</p>
<p>Karkat alternates between being mopey and pissed and he feels like an asshole because it’s obviously affecting his friends. Terezi is done with his shit by day two and as the week comes to a close Nepeta’s empathy is running real fucking low.</p>
<p>Not only that but a business deal the company was banking on is suddenly in jeopardy because of Karkat’s shitty mood and inability to hold his tongue and he has to scramble to fix it, sucking up his pride and kissing some ass so his employees don’t suffer.</p>
<p>Sometimes his job fucking sucks.</p>
<p>Nepeta informs him that Strider Tech did, in fact, schedule another meeting and Karkat’s heart pounds with hope even as his stomach sinks. He’ll be able to see Dave again, hopefully, but what will he say? What <i>can</i> he say? Dave doesn’t want anything to do with him. Even if this avoidance is born out of self-hatred or misplaced fear, Karkat is hesitant to push. But maybe he should.</p>
<p>Karkat loses sleep. A blessing and a curse, since his dreams are only filled with Dave. But he certainly doesn’t look his best the day the meeting rolls around. It must be obvious, because Nepeta shoves a coffee in his hand after raising her eyebrows, and she normally harps on him about his caffeine intake.</p>
<p>“Let’s get this over with,” he grumbles into the cup.</p>
<p>They go to the meeting room and Karkat settles against the wall to wait, making sure he has a fucking vice grip on his scent.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>The next meeting with Alternia is upon Dave before he’s ready for it. He doesn’t have any new plan, only a week of restless, yearning dreams floating around in his head. </p>
<p>As he stares up at the building that towers before him for the fourth and hopefully last time, his heart is racing in his chest. He’s been both anticipating and dreading seeing Karkat this whole week. He ended up spending a lot of time writing up similar iterations of the same message only to immediately delete it before sending. </p>
<p>He doesn’t know what he’s scared for more-- Seeing Karkat, or the repercussions of Bro finding out about another unsuccessful meeting. </p>
<p>Deep down Dave knows this venture was always going to fail. Bro was getting greedy, and either he drops this now or goes to court. But Bro doesn’t like to lose. Will Dave be blamed? Dave knows well enough this falls more on the shoulders of the lawyer and his lead scientist, who actually are starting to seem as anxious about it as he is. Bro is not known to be forgiving with failure. </p>
<p>This is not a meeting he wants to go into while feeling so pathetic. But by now Dave is used to masking what’s going on in his head, so he lets that cool and collected expression fall over his face.</p>
<p>By the time Dave is outside the meeting room it’s hard for some of his nerves not to break through. </p>
<p>Part of him can’t wait to be back in Karkat’s presence, enveloped by his scent, and Dave hates it. </p>
<p>But as the door opens for him and he steps inside, he can smell immediately smell Karkat but it’s muted compared to before. He also smells… <i>sad</i>. It speaks to a part of Dave’s brain that wants to take the alpha to hold and comfort him. </p>
<p>His stomach bottoms out when he sees him again. Karkat looks tired, yet still so strikingly handsome. Dave averts his eyes, willing the shameful flush not to reach his face, and goes to the table. </p>
<p>“Are all parties present?” The Strider Tech lawyer speaks. “I propose we begin.”</p>
<p>Here they go again. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p>When Dave walks into the room, Karkat’s heart leaps in his chest. Every time he sees him he’s struck once again by just how gorgeous Dave is, but he tries not to focus on that. It’s not hard, because Dave won’t even look at him, and Karkat swallows around a lump in his throat. </p>
<p>Dave smells anxious and upset, but Karkat is pretty sure he’s the only one who notices. He’s able to tell, now, how Dave’s scent sneaks past the blockers he uses. It’s dulled and if they weren’t soulmates, attuned to each other, Karkat is sure he wouldn’t be able to tell at all. He wants to comfort Dave, wrap his arms around his thin frame and protect him until he feels calm and safe, but Karkat is the reason he’s feeling like this in the first place. He feels sick.</p>
<p>They sit, Karkat across from Dave because he’s a desperate fool. No one mentions the outburst from last time as the meeting begins. Terezi and the Strider Tech lawyer immediately begin arguing, and the scientist jumps in every now and again. Terezi shuts his ass down every time. Apparently Sollux gave her the cliffnotes about the graft.</p>
<p>Karkat, for his part, tries to pay attention. He keeps his eyes away from Dave and checks that his scent isn’t going all over the place every few minutes, since it seemed so distressing to Dave before. But then the smell of something alluring and sweet hits his nose and he takes a deep breath before he realizes what’s happening.</p>
<p>His eyes go wide and snap to Dave, who’s flushing red. Karkat swallows nervously, unsure of what the fuck is happening.</p>
<p>Because that is the unmistakable smell of slick coming from Dave.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dave takes his seat and Karkat sits across from him this time. Great. </p><p>Scent is a funny thing. For the most part, it’s something that is processed in a part of the brain and generally ignored. </p><p>Dave would have expected himself to adjust to the scent of everyone in the room, including Karkat, except he does not. As he sits there across from Karkat, he only gets more and more of his scent. </p><p>It’s doing weird, bad things to his brain. Dave wishes he could curl in on himself and disappear as he registers how badly he just wants to go sit on Karkat’s lap and bury himself in his neck to be filled with that scent. He wants to bring him into their shared nest until he doesn’t feel sad anymore. </p><p>It’s all just instinct. Most ignore their instinct, but Dave’s internal primitive drives are speaking to him loudly today. He’s almost worried he’s going to lose control over himself and give into all that instinct, and that’s terrifying.</p><p>Of course Dave can control his limbs and keep himself glued to the chair, but he can’t control everything.</p><p>Awash in Karkat’s scent, it’s so easy for Dave to slip back into remembering those heated dreams from the last week. </p><p>He wants to feel his alpha inside of him, filling him up until he’s entirely whole. </p><p>His body is slipping as he struggles to reign in the fantasy.</p><p>A warm rush of heat runs through his body from head to stomach as he imagines Karkat and those broad shoulders holding him close while he fucks him deeply.</p><p>Dave can’t get the image out of his head.</p><p>It’s with rising terror that he then feels it— the telltale dribble of slick between his legs, a response to either his thoughts about Karkat, or even worse, his scent.</p><p>This can’t be happening. He isn’t going into heat, is he?! </p><p>--</p><p>Karkat shifts uncomfortably, eyes locked on Dave. He smells fucking <i>delicious</i> and Karkat wants to get closer, wants to shove his face between Dave’s thighs and lick the slick from him until Dave is moaning and purring prettily for him, until he’s gasping and begging for Karkat’s knot.</p><p>His face is getting hot and he clenches his fists under the table. There’s a rushing sound in his ears and he can’t hear what anyone is saying. He glances furtively around the table but no one seems to have noticed anything amiss, at least not yet. But Karkat isn’t wearing scent blockers like Dave, even if he’s doing his damndest to keep it to himself.</p><p>Why the fuck is Dave slicking during a fucking business meeting? Is he going into heat? Why the fuck is he here if he’s in pre-heat?</p><p>Oh fuck, fuck, he can feel himself starting to grow hard. It’s a natural reaction but he feels ashamed and embarrassed and like he’s taking advantage. Dave doesn’t want anything to do with him, he made that perfectly clear. What the fuck is he supposed to do?</p><p>Nothing, is the answer. He breathes through his mouth and tries to think distinctly unsexy thoughts and glares down at the table, his nails cutting into his palms and giving him something to focus on that isn’t Dave’s hopelessly addicting scent of attraction.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave is helpless, staring down at the table and trying to regain control of his body. </p><p>How could this be happening? Did he forget to take the heat suppressants? </p><p>Was this because he’s around Karkat?  </p><p>Rose’s words flash in his head: <i>My presence eventually triggered a heat in her.</i></p><p>This doesn’t mean he’s admitting Karkat is his soulmate. This could all just be a coincidence, maybe Dave forgot his suppressants after the weird week he just had. </p><p>Spontaneous heats out of season just don’t happen like this. </p><p>The air spikes with the scent of what registers to Dave as possessive arousal. His eyes go wide as he realizes it’s coming from Karkat. He risks a glance at the table around him, and everyone still seems engrossed in the actual meeting.</p><p>Everyone except Vantas, who is staring in consternation down at the table. His muscles all look tight and coiled up in restraint. His face looks pinched and flushed. </p><p>Can he… can he smell what’s happening to Dave? Does Karkat know it’s because of him? The arousal scent came after Dave started slicking… </p><p>Oh fuck, there’s no way he doesn’t know. If they’re as sensitive to each other as Rose mentioned, he definitely knows. <i>Not that that means anything.</i></p><p>Dave debates stepping out of the room for a second to get a hold of himself, maybe clean up in the bathroom. Thank fuck he wore all black today and so no one should notice visually even if he soaks through his pants. Can other people smell it— that’s the problem. </p><p>If it were only Karkat, well, Dave thinks he could deal with that. Anyone else though… </p><p>This is so humiliating. Fuck being an omega, fuck all these useless biological issues, and especially fuck Karkat for doing this to him.</p><p><i>Fuck in what way though?</i> Part of his brain offers so helpfully. </p><p>Dave feels like he’s going to be sick. </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat grows more tense with every passing second. His mate, his omega, is sitting across the table smelling of slick and arousal and shame and even though no one else seems to notice Karkat’s instincts are screaming at him that everyone else in the room is a <i>threat</i>, that he needs to get Dave somewhere secluded so they can nest together and be <i>safe</i>, so Karkat can protect him.</p><p>Nepeta is the first to notice anything is going on. She looks up from her phone as Terezi and the scientist are heatedly debating something and nudges him questioningly with her elbow.</p><p>His restraint snaps and a growl builds in his throat. Nepeta’s eyes widen and the room falls silent as panic trickles down his spine.</p><p>He pushes away from the table and stomps towards the door, hopefully before anyone can see the tent in his pants, and growls, “I’ll be right back.”</p><p>Each step he takes is a monumental effort. He’s leaving his omega behind, unprotected, with other alphas. His instincts scream at him but he isn’t a slave to them. Being out of the room, away from Dave’s heady scent, helps clear his head slightly.</p><p>The bathroom is blessedly empty. Karkat splashes water on his red face and grips the edge of the sink, taking deep breaths of air as he calms down. He’s tempted to stay there and hide out until the Strider Tech representatives leave the building but he can’t fucking do that. He can’t be a coward like that.</p><p>Still, he takes his time to compose himself. Byt the time he walks back to the meeting room he looks much less like there’s a proverbial thundercloud above his head.</p><p>He braces himself as he opens the door but it’s still not enough to prepare him for the feeling of being assaulted by the thick scent of Dave’s arousal when he walks in. </p><p>“Nice of you to join us,” Terezi says, then immediately turns her attention back to the conversation. Nepeta shoots him a questioning look.</p><p>But Karkat’s attention is on Dave, a part of him he didn’t know was anxious relaxing as he lays eyes on him. And he can’t tell because of those fucking shades, but he thinks Dave might finally be looking at him, too.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave is looking back down at the table, doing his best to subtly take deep breaths through his mouth as opposed to his nose. It does not make much of a difference with how much of Karkat’s scent he’s taking in. </p><p>Then Karkat <i>growls</i>. Dave glances up, startled.</p><p>Another gush of slick pours out from between his legs into his pants in response and Dave can’t deny that it was one of the hottest things he’s ever heard in his life. </p><p>The room goes quiet and Karkat excuses himself. As he turns the other way away from the table, from where he’s sitting Dave sees the undeniable bulging in his pants. He might be the only one that notices it, but he does see it. It makes Dave go breathless for a moment, his jaw actually dropping open as the sight overtakes him. </p><p> </p><p>Is Karkat… Is that because of Dave? He doesn’t know how that makes him feel. Dave doesn’t want to admit what any of this could mean, but still. It’s like the two of them are reacting to each other in one closed feedback loop. No one else in the room is being impacted by this like they are. </p><p>Dave is relieved yet instinctually (mostly instinctually) upset when Karkat is gone. He feels abandoned, but he knows that’s just his annoying instincts talking. It’s irrational. </p><p>Karkat’s scent disappears into the air and the meeting resumes. It seems the break helped both parties calm a little, they resume at a quieter level this time. Of course that won’t last for long. </p><p>In the minutes following Karkat’s departure, Dave manages to calm himself down a little. The slick between his thighs and in his pants begins to dry, uncomfortable and sticky. </p><p>What the fuck is happening to him? Dave can’t figure it out. Or rather, he thinks he knows, he just doesn’t want to admit it. What if they have to keep having meetings? </p><p>What if being around Karkat sends Dave into a full blown heat? Dave’s stomach flips nervously at the thought. He can’t let that happen. </p><p>Maybe he should just lose this on purpose. He would rather field Bro’s anger than any more agony of being around Karkat but not with him. Maybe the only way to make this stop is to stop being around Karkat for good. It might suck at first, but Dave is sure he’d get over it… Eventually.</p><p>When Karkat walks back in again it feels like he’s losing his mind over again. Another dribble of slick responds to Dave sensing his return. It’s undeniable now-- he’s slicking for Karkat and only Karkat. </p><p>Dave has never had this happen to him for anyone before. </p><p>Dave keeps his eyes on the table, willing himself not to look up at him. His face turns red as he feels Karkat’s eyes on him. </p><p>Karkat sits down. It’s only then that Dave lifts his eyes, turning his gaze to undeniably meet Karkat’s, and he gives the smallest nod of acknowledgement he can manage. </p><p>He doesn’t know how Karkat will read that. Dave could take out his phone and text him. He’s got half a mind to, but he doesn’t even know what he would say. </p><p>This meeting needs to be over. Dave might end it himself if he can’t stop slicking like this. If this goes on for too long it will soak through his pants if it hasn’t already. </p><p>What would he rather deal with-- that, or Bro’s anger? </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat has to sit through another thirty minutes of this torture, once again becoming unfortunately hard. He spends most of it angsting over what the fuck that nod meant. That Dave recognizes he’s not reacting on purpose? That he appreciates Karkat not drawing attention to his problem? Karkat has no fucking idea.</p><p>Finally, finally, the Strider Tech lawyer starts shoving paperwork furiously into a folder and Terezi leans back in her chair, grinning with all her teeth. </p><p>“You’ll be hearing from us,” she says cheerily. Karkat hasn’t been paying attention and has no idea what’s going on, but he stays firmly seated as Nepeta stands and ushers the Strider Tech representatives to the door, Dave included. Karkat can’t help it when his eyes trail down to Dave’s ass. The slick is nearly invisible on his black pants.</p><p>The moment the door shuts, Terezi turns and makes to hit him, but misses by a mile.</p><p>“What is <i>wrong</i> with you?” she demands. “I never thought <i>you</i> would be so busy thinking with your knot that you fuck up in the office.”</p><p>Karkat sighs. Dave’s scent is still heavy in the air and he wants to run after him so fucking bad.</p><p>“I’m sorry for growling at you,” he tells Nepeta seriously. “I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me.”</p><p>He knows exactly what’s wrong with him. What he doesn’t know is how to fix it.</p><p>“You’re forgiven,” Nepeta says, giving him a smile because she’s too fucking good for this world. He should get her a present. Or maybe something for the cats she spoils rotten and spams videos of in their group chat. “You should consider taking some time off, Karkat.”</p><p>Karkat clenches his jaw. Being stuck with nothing to take his mind off of his pathetic situation sounds even worse than going out of his mind at work.</p><p>“I’ll think about it,” he says.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave is then ignored by Karkat by the rest of the meeting. </p><p>He still looks… frustrated. </p><p>But Dave has to push through. He doesn’t move, doesn’t try to text Karkat either. It’s like hell. How can being around Karkat make his instincts both feel calm yet intensely aroused? </p><p>Why didn’t Karkat react earlier? Is he mad at Dave? </p><p>Ugh, Dave doesn’t care if he’s mad anyways. He’s mad that Karkat can just keep making him feel like this, whatever, shit goes both ways. </p><p>It’s the realization that the meeting is not going well that keeps his situation downstairs from getting any worse. They are losing. This will escalate to an actual lawsuit, and Dave will have to be the one to deliver that news to Bro today. </p><p>When it’s over, Dave leaves as quickly as he can. Outside the doors of the meeting room and away from Karkat’s scent, he finally feels like he can breathe normally and it isn’t adding fuel to the fire in his abdomen. Did Karkat feel the same way? Dave wants so badly to ask him, but it’s too late now. Maybe he was upset with Dave.</p><p>Dave doesn’t want to admit that he misses it, too. For how turned on he was, he also felt calm in Karkat’s presence. His body knew intrinsically that if Karkat was around, he was safe. </p><p>Fucking <i>omega instincts</i>. Always an uphill battle with those. Dave’s better than that… Right?</p><p>It doesn’t matter right now. He needs to go home, change, get focused, and then go back to Strider Tech headquarters to report. </p><p>Dave is out of the building when he realizes that may be the last time in a while he sees Karkat. Even if the lawsuit proceeds, it isn’t exactly a swift process. </p><p>That’s probably for the best. </p><p>His thighs are uncomfortably sticky on the way home. Those fantasies brought about by Karkat swirl around in his head and don’t leave. </p><p>Dave hopes that taking a quick shower will help to clear his mind. Instead, the ache to be filled persists. He can’t stop thinking about Karkat, and what he would do if he was actually there. Would Karkat take care of him, would that be his intent? Dave still kind of can’t stand the thought. He doesn’t want to be taken care of. </p><p>Still, Dave’s body craves feeling full. He doesn’t own anything to relieve him of that kind of pain, he’s always refused to buy anything as it would be an admission of what he actually was. But he’s hard too so he jerks himself off in the shower. It’s not what his body wants right now and he knows it, but it takes a bit of the edge off. </p><p>He at least thinks it’s enough to get him through work to face Bro. </p><p>When he’s dressed again and about to head off, he finally takes a look at his phone, which appears to be blowing the fuck up right now. He doesn’t look, but he thinks John might be texting him? And Jade? </p><p>He hasn’t talked to them in awhile....</p><p>He’ll have to get back to them later. </p><p>Dave dresses in clean clothes and gets back on his way. By the time he’s back in the building, it’s mid afternoon. </p><p>Bro’s lab is oddly silent as Dave enters. He was waiting for him, and he doesn’t look happy. </p><p>“Let me guess,” he starts. “You failed.” </p><p>Dave swallows. “Alternia wants to escalate to a lawsuit.” </p><p>Bro snorts and walks around one of his lab benches. “I knew you couldn’t do it.” </p><p>Dave waits, knowing there’s more to come.</p><p>“Honestly, why the fuck do I even keep you around? What are you even fucking good for? I’ve spent so long investing in you, generously hoping you could amount to something, but look at you. You can’t even accomplish this one task I gave you.” Every word hits like a gut punch. He’s rolling up his sleeves and walking towards Dave. He presses a button on one of the benches that closes and locks the door to the lab.</p><p>“What a little bitch. I should have known.” </p><p>Dave realizes something in that moment. It wasn’t a simple task. The deck had been stacked against him. </p><p>Had Bro been intending for him to fail? </p><p>“Fight me, prove to me you’re a man who deserves to be here.”<br/>
The sense of failure, that he’ll <i>never be enough</i>, stings more than any punch Bro lands on him. </p><p> </p><p>“I don’t want to see your fucking face for a week,” Bro tells him when it’s over and Dave is struggling to pick himself off the floor.</p><p> </p><p>By the time he makes it home it’s practically nighttime. His one eye is swelling and his mouth is still bleeding, but it’s slowed down since his quick cleanup in one of the bathrooms. </p><p>Immediately outside his door, he realizes something feels off. </p><p>The door is open. </p><p>What the fuck? </p><p>Dave is immediately on guard, heart rate spiking as he cautiously pushes open the door and steps inside, closing it slowly behind him. </p><p>The lights are all on…. And Rose, John, and Jade are all sitting at his dining table. </p><p>“What the fuck are you doing here?” Dave asks. “How did you even get in here?” </p><p>John offers him a weak wave and Jade is just half-smiling, but it looks more sad than anything.</p><p>“Hello, Dave,” Rose says, sounding a little bored. “About time you came by, we thought we’d be done catching up by the time you got here.” </p><p>“Yeah, well, that still doesn’t explain what you’re doing in my fucking house!” </p><p>Jade narrows her eyes at him. “Dave, are you okay? You don’t look so good.” She stands up and rounds the table to walk towards him. </p><p>Dave reflexively takes a step back. “Don’t--” He starts and stops, not even knowing what he’s going to say. </p><p>She claps a hand over her mouth as she nears. “Dave, you’re hurt!” </p><p>Rose stands now too, a concerned look in her eyes. “What happened?” </p><p>“Nothing, holy fuck. I’m fine, now get the fuck out of my house.” What the hell is going on? His friends have the worst timing. If he can even call them friends still, he hasn’t talked to them in a while, which he feels pretty bad about. </p><p>“We will do no such thing,” Rose says sternly. </p><p>“I’m gonna get some ice,” Jade offers and goes to his fridge. </p><p>“Can someone please enlighten me as to what the fuck is going on?” Dave repeats, glaring at Rose. Okay, that eye is actually starting to hurt. </p><p>“This is an intervention, of course,” she replies. </p><p>“Sorry, Dave, I swear this wasn’t my idea,” John says from the table. “But you’ve kind of been a huge dick lately.” </p><p>“I agree!” Jade yells, apparently busy wrapping ice with a clean towel she found in one of his kitchen drawers. Isn’t she just the picture perfect image of the doting omega.</p><p>“Wow, thanks,” Dave mutters. “Well uh, unfortunately for you all, my home is a no-intervention zone, so I’m gonna have to ask you all to leave.” </p><p>“No can do bro,” John says from the table. </p><p>“Dave,” Rose says, sounding very grave. “We think you need to leave Strider Tech.” </p><p>Oh, so that’s what this is about. </p><p> </p><p>A few minutes later Dave is sitting at the kitchen table with ice over his cheek while his three sort-of friends stare back at him. </p><p>“Well?” He says expectantly, waiting for one of them to speak up. </p><p>Jade bites her lip nervously and looks at Rose. John shifts uncomfortably in his chair. </p><p>“Who did this to you?” Rose asks calmly, nodding her head at him. </p><p>Dave rolls his eyes. “Who do you think? Look, it’s fine, Bro’s been beating the shit out of me ever since I was old enough to throw a punch.” </p><p>“I don’t think seven year olds should know how to throw a punch,” John says. </p><p>“Very helpful John, thanks,” Dave mutters back. </p><p>“Why are you staying with him?! Just fucking leave! Who cares if it’s your name on the building too, Dave, he’s terrible!!!” Jade says in an outburst. </p><p>“Don’t you have a PhD you should be working on or something?” </p><p>“Yes, but this is more important,” Jade sighs. “We miss you.” </p><p>Okay, Dave isn’t sure if that’s one of his ribs smarting or just a giant rush of guilt. </p><p>“Look, I can’t leave,” Dave says. “He’s my brother.” </p><p>“Your brother who’s abused you ever since he had custody of you?” Rose says pointedly. “Are you failing to see what’s wrong with this picture?”</p><p>“Hey, Bro never abused me,” Dave bites back. </p><p>“Oh, then what do you call all this?” She gestures at him, clearly referring to his injured state of being. </p><p>“Making me stronger. Next question.” </p><p>All three of them just kind of wilt in response and exchange unhappy glances with each other. </p><p>“Dave, you don’t need to be made stronger. You could probably kick the shit out of me with your hand tied behind your back,” John says. </p><p>“You’re a beta, John,” Dave grumbles. “It’s not the same for you.” </p><p>“Uh, excuse me? Hello, yes, omega here. Do you think I need to be made stronger?” Jade says. </p><p>“No, of course not,” Dave says quickly. </p><p>“Do you think I’m weak?” </p><p>“No, Jade, don’t be ridiculous.” </p><p>Jade makes a show of rolling her eyes. “Dave! You don’t need to be made stronger! This is ridiculous! You are being ridiculous!” </p><p>Dave just purses his lips. Jade groans and puts her head in her hands, shaking her head. </p><p>“Look,” Rose sighs when Dave doesn’t reach whatever conclusion they apparently want him at. “I became concerned the other night when you messaged me, and then further so with your lack of messages thereafter. You’ve never been one to, oh, what do they say, ‘leave me on read.’”</p><p>Dave stiffens. “You didn’t tell them, did you?” He nods at John and Jade, who seem to get a little offended at him wanting them out of the loop.</p><p>Rose huffs. “No, I didn’t, but I was hoping you would tell them yourself!” </p><p>“There’s nothing to tell.” </p><p>Everyone looks at him doubtfully. </p><p>Rose huffs. “Fine, I’ll do it then. John, Jade, it appears that Dave has met his soulmate.” </p><p>“God fucking dammit, Rose.”</p><p>Jade turns elated. “Oh my god! Congratulations! Who are they?!” </p><p>John grins and reaches over to gently clap Dave on the shoulder. “Wow, lucky you.” </p><p>Dave just frowns. “Look, it’s no one’s fucking business, okay?” </p><p>They turn confused at that. </p><p>“Why, what’s wrong with them?” Jade says. “Everyone always says meeting their soulmate is like, the best day of their life.” John nods in agreement.</p><p>Dave groans. “Because it’s a guy, alright!” </p><p>Oh, wow, he just admitted it. He basically just said Karkat is his soulmate. </p><p>His stomach goes warm and gooey as he considers it. It… it feels right. He can’t keep hiding from that. </p><p>John and Jade look startled. </p><p>“Um, okay?” John says. “And why’s that important?” </p><p>“Yeah I’m kind of failing to see the issue here,” Jade says. </p><p>Dave levels his gaze at Rose as he grumbles his response. “Because it’s unnatural, okay? I don’t want to get into it.” </p><p>Rose sighs, heavy and suffering. “Dave believes he’s meant to be alone forever because he feels he has nothing to offer in a relationship.” </p><p>Dave opens his mouth up to argue but he realizes he has nothing to say. She kind of hit the core of all of this. </p><p>Jade turns concerned again, almost stricken. “Dave, that’s not true at all!” </p><p>“More importantly, a certain someone has been putting that in his head for longer than I would like to admit.” </p><p>Dave can’t argue against that, either. </p><p>“Holy shit,” John says. “Dave, why do you stay if he’s so terrible to you? I don’t even know what he said but I know enough to know it’s <i>wrong</i>.” </p><p><i>I’m wrong. I shouldn’t exist. I have nothing to offer. I’m good for one thing and one thing only.</i> These thoughts rush up before Dave can stop him, and his eyes prickle with the warning of tears. </p><p>“He’s my brother. He pays me a lot. Look, he’s family, okay? He’s always taken care of me.” Each excuse feels weak.</p><p>All of them look at him sadly. Rose looks especially disappointed. Dave is pretty sure she once called him ‘Bro’s loyally abused dog’. </p><p>“Dave,” Jade starts gently. He hates how she’s talking to him now like she’s walking on eggshells. He’s not going to break. “What’s the worst that would happen if you did leave?” </p><p>“I’d be unemployed, that’s for sure. It wasn’t like I went to college, most of my training was kind of on the job.” </p><p>“You don’t need a degree to get hired elsewhere. Dude, you have Strider Tech chairman on your resume. That’s kind of hard to beat,” John says. </p><p>Dave has to admit he has a point. It’s not like he doesn’t have major savings, either. Bro did actually pay him well for the job, especially over the last few years when things really got big. </p><p>“You probably have more connections than you think. I’m sure somewhere else would hire you,” Jade says. </p><p>“God, I just want to see someone take your Bro the fuck down,” John says, leaning back in his chair. “I’ve always hated that guy.”</p><p>Dave snorts. “It’s not like it would be impossible to do that.” </p><p>Rose sits up. “What do you mean?” </p><p>“Uh,” Dave says. His heart rate speeds up as he considers what he’s next about to say. “Bro isn’t exactly a stand up guy when it comes to business. He’s screwed a lot of people over, in both legal and very illegal ways.” </p><p>“So wait, you know all this insider shit about him and you aren’t gonna try to use it?” John asks.</p><p>“What the fuck am I supposed to do, sue him?” Dave says with a laugh. Then he pauses, because he realizes he’s actually right. </p><p>Alternia Biotech is planning to sue them. </p><p>Alternia also apparently has a really good lawyer. </p><p>In those few seconds after he says that, he realizes he would gladly hand over anything it took to screw Bro and his entire company. </p><p>“Hold on,” Dave says as he takes his phone out, staring at it for a long moment. “I need to send a message.” </p><p>Everyone watches him curiously as he composes the messages. His hands are shaking.</p><p>DS: hey<br/>
DS: i know im probably the last person you want to hear from right now<br/>
DS: but i actually need your help<br/>
DS: and i think i can help you</p><p> </p><p>“Who are you messaging?” Jade asks. </p><p>Dave swallows thickly before responding. </p><p>“My soulmate.” </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat stays late at work, answering emails and making phone calls. He heads home at around seven and miserably eats leftover chinese while he googles <i>soulmate rejections</i>.</p><p>There’s not a whole lot of information to be found, but he does discover a forum that labels itself as a support group for soulmate connections gone wrong. He reads through a couple of the posts, but they’re almost all about people whose soulmates have died. There’s one person who discovered her and her soulmate had a forty year age gap and their bond was platonic, but that’s the closest thing to Karkat’s situation.</p><p>He actually considers writing up a post of his own requesting help but quickly tosses the idea away. These people can’t help him. Karkat doubts there’s a single person alive who can help him, besides Dave himself. But Dave doesn’t want him in his life and Karkat isn’t going to force his way in.</p><p>Karkat has been learning about consent since before he knew what the word meant. His omega father made sure to drill it into his head from a young age. <i>If someone doesn’t want to be touched, you don’t touch them</i> and <i>you have to ask if you can play with their toys, and if they say no you respect that.</i> That eventually led to actual lectures about consent when Karkat presented as an alpha. Multiple lectures. </p><p>And they stuck, all these years later. Karkat isn’t that kind of alpha. Dave said no, and he has to respect that, no matter how much it fucking hurts.</p><p>He closes his laptop and rubs at his temples, feeling a headache coming on. His phone vibrates on the table next to him and he takes a deep breath before picking it up, bracing himself for whatever work emergency he has to deal with now.</p><p>But it isn’t a work emergency. Karkat sees Dave’s name on his screen and his heart leaps. Dave needs help and though he doesn’t know what he can give, Karkat’s instincts say <i>anything</i> and his heart says <i>everything</i> as he carefully types out a message.</p><p>KV: I’LL ALWAYS BE HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU<br/>
KV: WHAT DO YOU NEED?</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>It’s still hard to say it aloud, but Dave did it. He admitted Karkat is his soulmate. </p><p>At least… he’s pretty sure. It makes him both nauseous and exhilarated to think that he is. </p><p>Dave doesn’t know what he’s going to do with that now. Part of Dave is still pretty sure he doesn’t like males, or alphas… But Karkat is so different. </p><p>From the way he was leaking through his pants thinking about Karkat earlier, Dave knows he feels some kind of attraction. Or that being around Karkat does something to him. He still needs to figure out if he forgot to take his heat suppressants today. He has forgotten before and been fine, but if he’s going to be around Karkat again he can’t risk it. A spontaneous heat is one of Dave’s worst nightmares. </p><p>Although maybe going into spontaneous heat around Karkat wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe. </p><p>Dave also can’t believe all of that happened this morning. Today has been so long already. </p><p>Karkat’s reply is more swift than Dave was expecting. With how unexpected it was, he can’t help the small smile on his face as he reads the response. </p><p>So Karkat wasn’t mad at him because of what happened earlier? Maybe he just wanted to ignore it because of what happened with the last meeting? Stay professional? Dave understands that, honestly. Still, these words are so different from the cold manner Karkat had regarded him with earlier, and Dave doesn’t know what to make of that. </p><p><i>I’LL ALWAYS BE HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU</i> </p><p>Dave can’t help the way his heart flips in his chest as he reads that. He knows Karkat means it, too. Dave doesn’t think he deserves it. </p><p>“Oh my gosh, your face,” Jade giggles. “You are messaging your soulmate!” </p><p>Dave quickly wipes off whatever dopey expression he’s wearing. “Shut up,” he grumbles. “He’s just offering to help.” </p><p>Rose is watching him with a curious but intrigued expression. </p><p>Dave sighs. He can’t message Karkat about this because that would mean a paper trail. Dave also needs to make sure he can trust him with all this and that they are completely on the same page. </p><p>“Look, I’m gonna make a phone call. Can I trust you three to sit here and just chill for a few.” </p><p>John shrugs. “Yeah, totally.” </p><p>“Take your time,” Jade says, still looking oddly pleased. </p><p>Rose just nods assent. Dave nods in response and backs out of the kitchen area and into the living room. They will still probably be able to hear half of the conversation, so in the worst case scenario he can just go to his room and shut the door if they need to discuss anything not related to business... Or who knows, maybe he won’t actually want to talk to Dave at all. </p><p>Now is the hardest part: dialing Karkat’s number. </p><p>Dave’s thumb hovers over the button for almost a minute while he takes a few deep breaths to calm down. Every bruise and cut on his body reminds him that he’s weak for doing this, for reaching out to this alpha for help. </p><p>The physical presence of his friends in the other room reminds him he’s not. </p><p>As the number dials and Dave puts the phone to his ear, he swears it feels like his heart is going to jump out of his chest. </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat frets while he waits for a response, biting his lip and worrying about what Dave could possibly ask him for. To drop the lawsuit? Fuck, god, Karkat fucking hates himself for it but if Dave asked, he probably would. Sollux would kill him when he found out, but how the fuck is Karkat supposed to say no to his soulmate?</p><p>More time passes without a message and Karkat feels his anxiety building. He almost jumps a mile when his phone rings and he stares in surprise at Dave’s name on the screen. He snaps himself out of it and scrambles to answer the call.</p><p>“Dave?” he says hesitantly. “Are you okay?”</p><p>-</p><p>Dave grins and breathlessly chuckles a little when Karkat answers, half because this idea is insane and half because the sound of Karkat’s concerned voice is like a balm for all the wounds he sustained that afternoon. </p><p><i>How can something that feels so good be so bad?</i> </p><p>“Hey,” he says softly. “Yeah. I’m fine.” Well, he’s not really, but Dave doesn’t know how to get into that with Karkat right now. </p><p>Dave is kind of starting to realize how actually not okay he might be, however much he doesn’t want to admit it. </p><p>What else does he say? ‘How are you’? Should he even bother with the niceties after all that has happened? He does actually want to know how Karkat is doing. Or maybe he doesn’t, if he’s upset about earlier. But Karkat doesn’t sound upset. </p><p>“I-- Uh, thanks for taking this. I hope it isn’t a bad time.” He swallows. “Sorry, I don’t want to waste your time any more than I already have. I just… I kind of have a situation on my hands and I have this feeling you’re just about the only person I could trust to help me take care of it. Not that I’m the only one getting anything out of it, of course. I mean you’re a pretty business savvy guy so I think when I say the amount you could stand to gain off this is in the number of ten figures I hope you know I’m not messing around.” Dave inhales and realizes he’s kind of rambling. He really didn’t think this through. “Okay wow I’m really getting ahead of myself. H-How are you?”</p><p>What the hell is wrong with him? Dave’s pitched stuff to people before over the phone tons of times and never stumbled like this. Talking to Karkat just throws him off his game in every way it seems like. </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat’s eyebrows raise as Dave speaks more than Karkat’s ever heard him do in one sitting before. His concern grows exponentially when Dave says <i>ten figures</i>. What the fuck has Dave gotten himself into?</p><p>And then Dave does a 180 and asks Karkat how he is. What? The last time Karkat checked Dave didn’t want anything to do with him and now he’s calling Karkat up and asking how he’s doing?</p><p>“I’m…” not doing very fucking good, honestly, but he can’t put that on Dave. “Fine. I was just--” looking up how to deal with being rejected by your soulmate, “reading.”</p><p>There’s a moment of awkward silence and Karkat takes a deep breath. “You haven’t wasted any of my time. I meant it when I said that I’ll always be happy to hear from you.” Even if Dave doesn’t feel the same. “I’ll help you as much as I’m able to, Dave. What’s wrong?”</p><p>-</p><p>Well, okay. That’s good. He’s glad Karkat is fine. </p><p>But then… </p><p>It’s one thing to read it, but to hear Karkat actually saying to him <i>’I meant it when I said that I’ll always be happy to hear from you’</i> is far different. A warm sensation rushes up from his stomach up into his chest. He smiles a little again, not bothering to hold back right now. </p><p>“Right, thanks,” Karkat is definitely just saying that, though. Dave has wasted <i>plenty</i> of his time. Dave shakes his head to focus himself again. Then he laughs a little, feeling crazy. <i>I really hope I can trust him with this.</i> </p><p>“I just… Okay, fuck it. I’m just gonna say it. I need your help to take down Strider Tech from the inside, starting with your lawsuit.” </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat falls silent, trying to decide if he heard what he thought he did. When he decides that yes, Dave <i>did</i> in fact say that he wants to take down Strider Tech, his first thought is that this is obviously some sort of trick.</p><p>He feels like an asshole for thinking it, but what other conclusion is he supposed to draw? Dave has made no indication that he dislikes Strider Tech, besides being kind of quiet in the meetings they’ve had. Dave was willing to <i>sleep with</i> him, someone he isn’t interested in at all, to get information for Strider Tech’s benefit. He’s done it before, he has a <i>reputation</i> for doing it, apparently. </p><p>But… even if it is a trick, Karkat finds himself considering it. He’s a fucking loser asshole scumbag for it, but god, any excuse to see Dave again, talk to him again… He should hang up. Delete Dave’s number, let them both move on with their lives.</p><p>Instead he asks, “Why?”</p><p>-</p><p>Dave exhales heavily. He should have expected this question. </p><p>“Yeah, that’s the billion dollar question, isn’t it?” Dave swallows against his dry throat. This is not a story he wants to tell Karkat over the phone. “My brother’s name is Broderick Strider. I’m sure you’ve heard of him. But I don’t-- I don’t really know how much I can tell you over the phone.” Partially because Dave doesn’t think he can handle that right now. “Let’s just say he’s screwed a lot of people over the last several years…. Including me.” He pauses. “And I’m… I’m done. I’m done with him, with everything. I can’t just leave, though. Bro’s not someone you just walk away from. He doesn’t lose. I can’t do this by myself. But I know things, I know how to hit him where it hurts. He’d never see it coming. That’s… Yeah, That’s why.”</p><p>-</p><p>It’s frustrating, talking to Dave over the phone. Karkat adores the sound of his voice in his ear but he can’t see him, can’t smell him. He can’t tell if Dave is being truthful. Part of him wants to call bullshit, wants to make Dave just be fucking upfront with him. Wants to be done having his heart broken. </p><p>The other part is falling for this hook, line, and sinker. If Dave is playing up being a hurt omega in need of rescuing to get at his alpha instincts, Karkat is ashamed to say that it’s working. Probably better than Dave expected.</p><p>“Okay,” he says, because what else is there? “You said you can’t say much over the phone. Do you want to meet up?”</p><p>Karkat hopes so, but he keeps his expectations low. He’s a fucking fool for entertaining this, and if Terezi were here she’d slap him upside the head. Or try to. She’d probably miss.</p><p>-</p><p>“Yes,” Dave says immediately, without thinking about it. He trusts Karkat with all of this. </p><p>Dave realizes he also really wants to see him again. </p><p>That also means Karkat will see what happened to him. Usually Dave would have just hid out for a few days while he healed and not sought out anyone. How will Karkat react? Maybe Dave wants him to see. </p><p>“I do want to meet up,” Dave says, but he remembers his friends he hasn’t talked to in awhile that are here to see him. “Not today, though. Tomorrow. Anytime, I’ll… make myself available.” Bro basically gave him the week off. “Just let me know.” </p><p>-</p><p>Dave says <i>yes</i> without a second thought and Karkat isn’t sure if that’s a point for or against his theory. He frowns, knowing he’s going to be up all night analyzing and overthinking this conversation.</p><p>“Okay,” he says again. “I’ll text you.”</p><p>Another awkward silence. It’s not supposed to be like this, when you’re talking to your soulmate. It’s supposed to be easy and perfect and good. It’s not supposed to make you feel like you’re back in high school and people are laughing at you behind their hands.</p><p>“Goodbye,” Karkat says, for lack of anything else. He hangs up before he realizes he didn’t ask <i>where</i> they’re supposed to be meeting but. Whatever. Dave can give him the address tomorrow.</p><p>-</p><p>“Okay,” Dave responds. Then Karkat is cold again. And that’s… that’s fine. “Goodbye.”</p><p>Dave doesn’t deserve anything else from him. It’s not like Dave’s been much better. He’s asking a lot as is. Karkat could have laughed in his face over the request...</p><p>Just like how Dave laughed in his face when Karkat asked him out. Then Karkat had proceeded to be nothing but good to him. Dave didn’t deserve it. </p><p>How could he ever make this up to Karkat? </p><p>He couldn’t. If they were soulmates, then Karkat deserves someone better. </p><p><i>’I’m sorry you got stuck with me,’</i> he wants to say. Karkat deserves someone who is actually attracted to him, who isn’t so messed up, who isn’t just reaching out to him in a time of need because he was a convenient contact. Honestly, this was just Dave using him again. </p><p>How could he ever explain it all? </p><p>Dave stands there with no one on the other end of the line for a while before he clicks his phone off and slides it back in his pocket. Karkat said he would message him, so he’ll just have to wait for that message and hope that he doesn’t change his mind. </p><p>He returns to the table and his friends decide they want to get Indian food. They elect for some delivery because Dave isn’t exactly in the condition to go out anywhere, but they all act like it’s a different reason. </p><p>Dave appreciates them so much. He doesn’t deserve them either, especially after the things he said to Rose. Especially after ignoring his friends for the sake of focusing on work and chasing the approval of Bro. Dave was done with him now, and they had helped him realize that. </p><p>They talk a little bit more the rest of the night about his issues. Rose begs him to talk to someone but Dave can’t commit to that. So many things he knows logically are one way, but a part of his brain tells him it’s another, a part that he doesn’t think would have been there if not for Bro. </p><p>Otherwise, the evening is great. Everyone gives him an update on their lives. They try to needle details about Karkat out of him but quickly drop it when they notice how uncomfortable he gets. It’s just a lot to wrap his head around. They still offer to listen if he ever wants to talk about it, though. </p><p>Now that Dave has realized he can’t be at Strider Tech anymore, the future is suddenly terrifying. Where will he go next? How long can his savings sustain him? He has too many unanswered questions. </p><p>For now he enjoys the time with his friends, making a promise to himself that this will never happen again. </p><p>Maybe next he can fix whatever it is he has with Karkat.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>True to form, Karkat only gets about an hour’s worth of sleep that night. He rereads the texts Dave sent, replays their conversation in his head. He digs deeper into how to handle a soulmate rejection but most of what he finds can be summed up as ‘suck it up and lead an empty life.’</p><p>The only bracing thing he can find is that sometimes people report feeling content with their lives years after their soulmates die. Maybe years after Dave gets tired of yanking him around Karkat will feel content, too.</p><p>He goes to work. He thinks about texting Dave all morning and by the time noon rolls around he can’t resist any longer.</p><p>KV: I GET OFF WORK AT 5.<br/>
KV: WHERE AM I MEETING YOU?</p><p>His leg bounces anxiously as he waits for a response.</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>When Dave says goodbye to everyone that night, it’s bittersweet. They are all still worried about him and he can tell. </p><p>Part of him doesn’t like that. Being worried about means he is showing <i>weakness</i>. </p><p>But Dave also knows that they just care about him. </p><p>The next morning he stays home and spends the entire time just thinking about everything. He starts reading, too, information about male omegas he never bothered to look into before and about relationships between the same primary gender. </p><p>Why did he always take whatever Bro told him as truth? The more he looks the more it all unravels, until all he’s left with is the truth-- that he spent so much time chasing approval and love he would never get. </p><p>It’s over now. He’s done. </p><p>Even as anxious as he is to hear from Karkat, Dave feels lighter now. Like something that had been weighing on him for so long is gone. </p><p>Dave leaps at his phone when he gets a message, but sees that it’s just an omega meme from Jade in their ancient group message. He snorts and likes it, but is also filled with affection all over again for his friends. </p><p>It’s a few minutes later when his phone lights up again, this time it is from Karkat. Dave quickly puts in his address and sends it. </p><p>DS: see you soon<br/>
DS: and thank you again karkat</p><p>Part of his eye is obviously swelling and purple even with the shades on. Overall, he just looks… like he got beat up, honestly. Will Karkat notice? </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat stares at the messages for too long. Dave is <i>thanking</i> him and that… doesn’t track, based on Karkat’s experience with him. It’s not what he’s come to expect from Dave and that makes the anxiety building in his chest worse than before.</p><p>He has to shove it aside, though, because there’s work to be done. Conference calls can take hours and give him headaches, but at least it takes his mind away from the fact that he’ll be seeing Dave again soon.</p><p>Nepeta pats him on the shoulder when he leaves at an appropriate time, giving him a proud smile. He doesn’t have it in him to tell her this isn’t going to be a regular thing.</p><p>He puts the address Dave gave him into his phone, and drives. He curses loudly at the idiots in the street who don’t know how to fucking drive and before he’s ready, he’s there. He parks on the street and frowns up at the towering apartment complex in front of him. He isn’t sure why Dave gave him his home address. It’s fucking weird.</p><p>Karkat presses the button next to the label Strider, D. and waits for Dave’s voice over the intercom, but he’s buzzed in immediately.</p><p>He takes the elevator up to Dave’s apartment and knocks, trepidation filling him. </p><p>When the door swings open Karkat is immediately hit with Dave’s scent; he’d forgotten how strong it is. But that isn’t what catches his attention. His eyes immediately land on the bruising on Dave’s face, peeking out from where his sunglasses sit, and a threatening growl bursts out of him before he even notices it’s happening.</p><p>“Who did this to you?” he demands, hand lifting up to hover near Dave’s face.</p><p>-</p><p>After sending Karkat that message, Dave goes to check, again, that he took his heat suppressants that morning. Apparently he hadn’t yesterday, or at least he thinks, which had possibly led to the slicking episode during the meeting. </p><p>Even on days when Dave has forgotten to take the suppressants, which does not happen very often, he’s never had that happen to him before. Dave is pretty sure that being around Karkat without them again would mean a spontaneous, or out of season heat. He can’t let that happen. He made sure to take it that morning, and now he thinks he should be fine. He hopes. </p><p>When he buzzes Karkat in, Dave stands by his door and paces, going over again in his head what all he wants to say. He knows he is probably going to forget, but he at least has to try. </p><p>Karkat knocks, and Dave lunges to open the door. </p><p>He kind of forgot that Karkat would be coming here in his business attire. Dave is casual as could be by comparison-- a long sleeve shirt and some joggers. Karkat looks tired, his hair is tangled, and he looks so handsome Dave momentarily feels his chest ache. </p><p>Karkat’s scent hits him again, too. It sends signals of <i>You’re safe now</i> to his brain. Dave knows this is how alphas are supposed to make others feel, but this is the first he’s ever really felt it, or at least felt as loud and clear in his instincts as this. He also just smells so good, making Dave want to grab onto his suit jacket lapels and pull him down so he can get closer to his neck. </p><p>Of course Dave doesn’t do that, but it doesn’t matter, because Karkat is on him, reaching a hand out to his face, and <i>growling</i>. </p><p>Dave flinches back from it, and when his body realizes there’s no danger he’s filled with all this guilt because part of him wanted to lean into that hand, not flinch away from it. He must still be sensitive from the fight with Bro. He thought he trained flinching out of himself ages ago, but not today apparently. </p><p>Karkat’s growl, though. It’s territorial, sexy, and terrifying, and fuck is Dave confused. </p><p>He moves quickly, stepping around Karkat to close the door behind him. </p><p>“This little thing? Compliments of my brother after he found out the meeting with you guys didn’t go so well yesterday,” Dave says when the door is firmly shut behind him. He steps back around Karkat, keeping space between them. The parts of his brain that are run by pure omega instinct want to sink into him, not be kept away. </p><p>Dave thinks that maybe it’s not just his instincts that want to be close with Karkat anymore. </p><p>He goes ahead in the hallway and nods his head towards the living room. “Come on in, make yourself comfortable. I think we have a lot to talk about.” </p><p>-</p><p>Dave flinches away from his hand and Karkat feels hurt, then feels guilty about feeling hurt. Dave has clearly experienced some sort of attack, <i>of course</i> he’s going to flinch away from Karkat. It’s enough to stop the growl in his throat, and he watches Dave closely as he moves.</p><p>Karkat hasn’t seen Dave in anything but a suit before, but now he’s wearing loose, comfortable clothing. He looks… cozy and soft. Karkat wants to reach out and pull him into a hug.</p><p>He doesn’t. He doesn’t move, letting Dave put as much space between them as he needs, and maintains the distance as Dave leads him through the hallways and into the living room. Karkat waits for Dave to sit in a chair before he takes a seat on the couch, as far away from Dave as possible. He slouches down in his seat slightly, trying to make himself seem small and less of a threat without being obvious.</p><p>“Your brother hurt you,” he says, clenching his fists. A protective anger flickers through him. “That’s why you want to take him down?”</p><p>There’s a small part of him that’s still doubtful, that whispers that it could be makeup, or that it wouldn’t be beyond the realm of possibility for Dave to be working with his brother, for the black eye to be purposeful. But he’ll hear Dave out, at the very least. Listen to whatever plan he’s cooked up.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave slides into his seat with a slouch. All he wants to do is go sit in the alpha’s lap instead.</p><p>“‘Hurt me’ is one way to put it,” he says, averting his gaze. “I think the way it was put to me yesterday was, I quote, ‘years of abuse and trauma leading to internalized as well as outward omega- and homo-phobia’, but hey, we don’t have to get too into semantics here. Long story short, I think he fucked me up real good. But this isn’t about me. Or well, I guess it is, but it’s about you, too.” </p><p>Dave shakes his head and inhales before starting again. “Bro invests in…. Things. People. Like me. I’m an asset to him, in ways I don’t exactly want to get into, but I think you might actually have an understanding of it anyway. I just can’t leave. I’ve seen how he ruins the people who try to walk away from him. The thing is, no one’s ever really tried to go up against him. But I know things. The lawsuit is going to happen, and I intend to make sure Strider Tech loses, badly, if you will let me help you with that. I can’t let him on to me, though, that’s the problem.” He swallows. Here’s the big part he expects Karkat to say no to. “If I help you win this, and I think you want to, I might need some help with draining Bro of everything he’s got. And maybe protection too, but I’d hope it wouldn’t get to that point.” Dave pauses and scratches his head. “So yeah… That’s what I got for you.” </p><p>-</p><p>It’s really, really fucking hard not to slip back into growling as Dave talks about his brother. <i>Years</i> of abuse and trauma. This has happened before, and no one’s stopped it. No one’s kept Dave safe, protected him, made sure it wouldn’t fucking happen again.</p><p>Well. That’s what Karkat’s here for.</p><p>Taking down a competitor is a plus, but honestly Karkat isn’t concerned about that. Alternia is fine; they’ve got a sturdy foothold in the industry. Strider Tech isn’t going to affect their bottom line.</p><p>Dave is afraid to leave, his brother hurts him and uses him and--is his brother the reason Dave sleeps with people he isn’t interested in for information? Does the older Strider make him do that?</p><p>He grits his teeth so hard it hurts. <i>His omega</i> is being hurt. Karkat wants to rage, wants to growl and snarl and hunt down Broderick Strider and make him <i>pay</i>, but he can’t. He wants to wrap his arms around Dave and make him feel safe, wants to plaster his body over him like a barrier, wants to press his lips gently to the bruise around his eye. But he can’t do that either.</p><p>“I’ll help you any way I can,” Karkat says seriously. <i>Any way you’ll let me.</i> “Just tell me what you need.”</p><p>-</p><p>Dave watches how Karkat reacts to his request. By the time Dave is done talking, he looks absolutely furious, and Dave doesn’t know what to make of that until Karkat opens his mouth and responds. His eyes are full of fire when he tells Dave he’ll help him in any way he can. Dave knows in that instant reaching out to Karkat was the right choice. He just knew he could trust him. </p><p>He feels guilty, too. Karkat is offering to help even after everything Dave has done and put him through, including but absolutely not limited to being the worst soulmate anyone has ever been matched with in eternity. </p><p>“For now, I don’t need much. I think we both know lawsuits don’t happen overnight. What I have for you is on that laptop right there,” Dave says and nods to a laptop sitting on the coffee table before Karkat. “Have the lawyer and one of your tech specialists take a look at it. Bro placed a bug in your network ages ago, there should be info on the laptop to help you locate it discreetly. Don’t remove it though, Bro will know that you’re on to him. But when it’s brought up during the litigation discovery period, it’ll be a done deal for you guys. He stole from you, plain and simple.” It was not the first time Bro had pulled such tricks and gotten away with it, but Dave wouldn’t let him this time. “I guess with anything else...” Dave shrugs. “I’ll let you know. But I hope whatever’s on the laptop proves sufficient for when I need to, uh, call in that favor.” </p><p>-</p><p>He fucking <i>what</i>?! Oh, Sollux is going to lose his goddamn mind. He <i>built</i> their security system. As fucking livid as Karkat is that Broderick fucking Strider got a bug in their network, he’s kind of looking forward to seeing Sollux’s nuclear rage.</p><p>“I’ll show it to them,” Karkat nods. “There’s one glaring fucking flaw in your plan, though.”</p><p>When Dave raises his eyebrows, clearly confused, Karkat scowls.</p><p>“Are you really going to fucking go back there? After he did <i>that</i>?” He gestures towards Dave’s face before remembering making quick movements like that around an abuse victim probably isn’t a good idea, even if Karkat is a decent ways away. “What if he does it again? It’s not safe for you to go back.”</p><p>-</p><p>Dave has to admit Karkat has a point. Unfortunately, some things are just too little too late. He’s been told his whole life he owed his sorry existence to Bro, the mere idea of leaving is still freaking him out a lot. </p><p>Plus, he wants to believe so badly that it won’t happen again, that this was the last time, that Bro realized he was wrong and made a mistake. </p><p>Dave doesn’t know which way is up anymore. </p><p>Karkat’s concern, however… That feels pretty nice. He sounds legitimately worried about Dave. </p><p>“What, you got a better idea? Believe it or not but this is just business as usual for me. I don’t have a choice, not unless you want him catching on.” Dave made a point to heavily encrypt his phone in and outgoings just in case Bro was watching, but he knew there was a chance it wasn’t enough. It was risky enough handing over a laptop in which he ported over a lot of valuable information. Dave still found it hard to do this, being vulnerable in asking Karkat, a practical stranger with nothing to owe him, for help. “I appreciate your concern, but unless you have a fake passport or a bunker I can hide away in for months, hell, maybe years until the lawsuit is on its way, I can’t. It’s fine. I’ll be fine.” </p><p>Too many issues remain without solutions, either. Dave would need to hide his savings away securely somewhere so Bro couldn’t get to them. He would need to effectively disappear. He doesn’t have an answer for how to go about that, and he doesn’t think Karkat does either. Dave needs this time to plan. </p><p>For now, they just don’t have a better option. </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat grits his teeth. He wants to say <i>I’ll take care of it, just don’t go back</i>, but Dave’s right. Karkat has no idea how he’d protect Dave beyond hiring bodyguards or sticking to his side himself. He has no idea how to go about getting a fucking fake passport and the idea that Dave would need one makes him want to scream.</p><p><i>Business as usual.</i> How many times has Dave been hurt like this?</p><p>“Fine,” he grits out. “Terezi will make sure this happens as quickly as possible once she knows about the bug. You won’t be there long.”</p><p>He hopes. He certainly won’t fucking stand for Dave remaining there for <i>years</i>. </p><p>“I have a condition,” Karkat says, eyeing Dave warily. “If something happens, you tell me. I don’t give a shit if you think it’s not that bad. If he hurts you or threatens you or shit, just makes you mildly uncomfortable, you <i>tell me</i>.”</p><p>He’ll start keeping a record. Build a case against Strider, so they can put his ass in prison for assault.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave exhales. He doesn’t know why Karkat would bother, it’s not necessary. He does seem keen on getting Dave out of there and he doesn’t know why. </p><p>Or, well, maybe it’s because he cares. Even then Dave doesn’t know why he would. Dave gave his terms and Karkat agreed. This is a business deal at the end of the day. Still, Dave cannot deny the warm feeling in his chest that grows when he considers that it is because Karkat actually cares about him, even after everything that has happened. </p><p>With his friends and now Karkat in his corner, what he’s about to try to do seems a lot less daunting. </p><p>Dave doesn’t deserve any of them, and he especially doesn’t deserve Karkat’s help. </p><p>“Alright, deal. If anything comes up I’ll let you know. But we stick to the timeline. No big moves for now.” Dave can’t risk Bro realizing Karkat is involved now, who the hell knows what would happen. He doesn’t think he could handle it if something happened to Karkat and it was his fault. </p><p>Dave can do this. He’s been at Bro’s side for how long now? A little longer won’t kill him. </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>Dave agrees, to Karkat’s relief. It’s barely anything and it doesn’t assuage his worry at all, but at least he’ll <i>know</i> if something happens to Dave. It’s something. And as much as he’d like to, Karkat won’t be barging into Strider Tech demanding the elder Strider come and throw down. He won’t put Dave in danger like that.</p><p>Karkat nods and stands, reaching over to grab the laptop. Terezi’s about to get a frantic call from him.</p><p>“Thank you, Dave,” he says sincerely. “And I mean it, I’ll help you anyway I can.”</p><p>Even if Dave wasn’t his soulmate, Karkat’s never been very good at turning people down when they ask for help. It’s why he’s not in charge of the fucking finances at Alternia. He also can’t stand to see people treat omegas like shit. </p><p>-</p><p>Dave searches Karkat’s face momentarily. </p><p>“I know,” he says. He knows Karkat is being sincere. Dave does not sense any pity, only something Dave might describe as <i>devotion</i>. Karkat isn’t treating him as less because he needs help. That’s important, because Dave is in a vulnerable situation, and he’s never willingly done anything like this before. He is putting so much trust in Karkat’s hands and the alpha could screw him over, but Dave knows he won’t. His throat suddenly starts to gum up. Even though he is trying to help Karkat in exchange for what he needs, it still feels inequitable. “I… Thank you. I don’t deserve your help, but you’re doing it anyways.” Karkat could still back out of the deal of course, but Dave doesn’t think he will if that fire in his eyes is anything to go by. </p><p>He stands too but is vaguely disappointed that Karkat already has to leave. </p><p>What else are they gonna do though? Chat about the weather? They sure as hell are not going to talk about soulmate issues. </p><p>“You…” Dave swallows thickly again. “You should go. Let me know if you have any issues with the laptop. If anything else comes up, you’ll be the first to know.” </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat frowns, listening to the way Dave’s voice changes. His scent goes weird but Karkat can’t pinpoint <i>why</i> and that’s frustrating. But Dave wants him to leave, so Karkat will go, even though he wants to stay more than he’s wanted anything before.</p><p>“Okay,” he agrees. </p><p>Dave shows him to the door, still keeping a wide berth between them, and Karkat doesn’t begrudge him that. Before he leaves, however, Karkat turns to look Dave in the eye. Well, the shades.</p><p>“You deserve help, Dave,” he says. “I don’t give a shit what you did, or what he says you did; he never should have hurt you. You don’t deserve that.”</p><p>If he doesn’t get out of here he’s going to either start growling or crying, and he has a feeling Dave won’t react well to either. So he gestures to the computer, gives one last thanks, and leaves. It might be one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do.</p><p>-</p><p>Dave didn’t realize saying goodbye to Karkat would be so hard. It meant his comforting scent would be gone again, along with the presence he didn’t know he needed until it walked through his door. </p><p>Part of Dave still couldn’t stand that he felt like he needed Karkat. He hated that he was asking an alpha for help— it meant he was weak and couldn’t protect himself.</p><p>But the truth was that he couldn’t. </p><p>Even then, not even the comfort Karkat offered could help the rising nausea Dave felt when he considered how handsome Karkat looked, how the intense way he regarded Dave only accentuated those attractive features. </p><p>Dave wanted to touch him and yet the thought of doing so horrified him. </p><p>Surely Karkat’s hands on Dave would only make him feel the same as those other people Bro had him sleep with: worthless, just a vessel for guiltless pleasure, disgusting. It didn’t matter how much Dave wanted it, it would always be the same. It was shameful to want it, humiliating to have it.</p><p>These thoughts sit heavy on Dave as he walks Karkat to his door, again not knowing when he would see him again. He can’t wait to be rid of him yet never wants him to leave. It’s agonizing. Dave is perpetually caught in the middle of what he knows and what he feels. </p><p>Then Karkat tells him he deserves help, and again Dave feels nauseous. He wants to cry. He wants Karkat to hold him. </p><p>Dave hates him for it. </p><p>Why couldn’t Karkat have just left him the way he was before? Everything was so much easier before he forced Dave to open his eyes. It wasn’t all Karkat, though. It was his friends too. </p><p>Maybe this was just inevitable… if they were soulmates, that is. But even then, Karkat deserved better than him. Not a broken male omega with nothing to offer, nothing but an apparent ton of baggage. Dave was always going to ruin anything before it ever even started. </p><p>Dave regards him wordlessly as Karkat speaks and then turns away, out the door and out of Dave’s life one more time. Maybe Dave hopes he’ll never see him again, every time they walk away from each other it feels like it’s dragging hooks through his soul.</p><p>Dave collapses on the couch, face into the pillow where Karkat’s back had been. </p><p><i>This is hell,</i> Dave thinks as he lays there, trying to catch whatever might be left of his scent. It is really embarrassingly pathetic. </p><p>If he does cry, the couch soaks his tears off his face. He falls asleep there— the comfort of Karkat’s lingering scent lulling him into restful sleep better than then the blankets on his own bed.</p><p> </p><p>Over the next few days, Dave’s physical wounds heal. He continues to dream about Karkat, only to wake up with an aching chest. </p><p>He knows that by next Monday he’ll be ready to go back into work at Strider Tech, and who fucking knows is going to happen then.</p><p>His friends invite him to dinner that weekend, which Dave declines. Then John forcibly comes over, bringing a banquet array of taco bell to eat over video games “for old times sake”. </p><p>Dave actually manages to enjoy himself and forget the uncertain future looming before him for a few hours. </p><p>Before he knows it, it’s Monday morning and he’s walking through the pristine lobby of Strider Tech. He does not go to see Bro, he probably has other stuff he has to follow up on. </p><p>He does have an office in the building, but he rarely goes to it since he’s usually busy following up on various other projects and looking at the various production lines, as well as keeping a close watch on how their products are faring across the country. </p><p> </p><p>The desk is mostly as he left it, except his inbox on the corner of his desk is full of shit. He’ll go through it later. </p><p>For now he sits at the computer and reboots it. </p><p>The message he gets through the company wide messaging system is immediate: </p><p> </p><p>BRO: come see me </p><p> </p><p>Dave stares at that message for a good long minute or so, a pit of dread building in his stomach. What the fuck could he possibly want? </p><p>He <i>should</i> message Karkat, but instead he waits and tells himself he will give him an update after he sees Bro. </p><p>So he goes back up to Bro’s lab up on the upper floor. </p><p>As always, Bro does not look up when he walks in. </p><p>“What’s up,” Dave says, making his presence known. </p><p>“You’re back, good,” Bro says. “Had something to tell you.” </p><p>“I’m listening,” Dave says warily.</p><p>“Remember the laparoscopic stapler from Ethicon?” </p><p>“Yeah,” Dave says. If he recalls correctly, they were trying to make a version that was better than the Strider brand, except that it wasn’t compatible with the Strider Tech surgical robots that had become extremely popular as of late because they were minimally invasive for procedures. The staplers were moderately more effective, and ran about eight hundred dollars per stapler. </p><p>“They stopped production. Looks like we beat them out, that was all because of you.” </p><p>Dave freezes. He tries not to let the rare praise get to him, but it is so hard for it not to. As always, these are the words, the evasive approval, he always yearned to get from Bro. </p><p>“Good job,” Bro says. </p><p>Dave almost can’t respond. “Thanks,” he says as blankly as possible, not willing to show how much he’s freaking out. </p><p>This is… This is good, right? Bro must have realized how shitty he was last week and is trying to make up for it. </p><p>Some part of Dave’s brain whispers, <i>He always does this.</i> </p><p>“You have a meeting with Niehls on my behalf later, the itinerary should be in your inbox.”</p><p>“Sounds good,” Dave says, and turns around to leave. He knows when he’s being dismissed by Bro. </p><p>In the hallways on the way back to his office, Dave takes out his phone and sends a quick message to Karkat. </p><p> </p><p>DS: im here<br/>
DS: everything is fine</p><p> </p><p>More than fine. Weirdly fine. Good, even. </p><p>When’s the other shoe going to drop? </p><p>-</p><p>Karkat doesn’t wait to contact Terezi. The moment he gets home he sends her a message and places the laptop carefully on his living room table. He doesn’t bother opening it to check out himself; he long ago accepted that wasn’t where his talents lay.</p><p>He sleeps like shit, wondering how Dave is doing. If he’s in pain. If he’s thinking of Karkat. The former is likely, the latter isn’t. He only hopes Dave sticks to his word and tells him if anything goes wrong.</p><p>The laptop comes with him the next morning. He locks it in his office and heads down to the lab to get Sollux, since the asshole never keeps his phone on him when he’s working. Sollux doesn’t even look up at him.</p><p>“I swear to god, KK, if you’re here to pine over Strider again I’ll kill you myself,” he says.</p><p>“Fuck you, I don’t pine,” Karkat lies. “I need you to come with me.”</p><p>“I can’t leave this alone,” Sollux says, waving a hand his way dismissively.</p><p>“Don’t you have lab assistants for this?” Karkat asks. “You know, the ones you hand-picked? The ones we pay good money to keep on?”</p><p>“Yeah and they’re all idiots,” Sollux replies. One of the lab assistants rolls their eyes to the ceiling and another shakes their head, but neither says anything. Probably too used to the abuse. Karkat should look into giving them raises.</p><p>“I know how hard it is for you but pull your head out of your ass for ten seconds and come with me,” Karkat says. “It’s important.”</p><p>It takes another fifteen minutes to pull Sollux away from his project. Karkat is tempted to just yell everything Dave told him directly in his ear, but he doesn’t trust the assistants not to blab. So dragging Sollux up to his office it is. Terezi is waiting impatiently outside, and Karkat unlocks the door to let them in.</p><p>As predicted, Sollux’s rage is legendary. He seethes as he combs through the laptop, mumbling curses under his breath and reading shit off to Terezi occasionally. Terezi, for her part, is over the moon.</p><p>“This is going to be open and shut,” she grins. “Tell your boy thanks, Karkles.”</p><p>“He’s not my boy,” Karkat grumbles.</p><p>Once that is out of the way, business resumes as usual. Terezi takes the laptop and goes to move forward with the proceedings, Sollux returns to torturing his lab assistants, Karkat has to deal with so many fucking emails. Every day he reads emails.</p><p>His job is more than that, but sometimes it feels like he’s drowning in emails.</p><p>Dave is constantly on his mind. He pulls up his number, fingers hovering over his phone, but never sends a message. He can’t think of anything to say, and Dave probably doesn’t want to hear from him. He only came to Karkat because he didn’t know where else to turn, and knew that Karkat would help him because they’re soulmates. He’d feel hurt by that if he wasn’t too busy being grateful that he gets to remain in touch with Dave at all.</p><p>On Monday he finally hears from Dave again. Just two short messages, but it’s enough to relieve his mounting anxiety slightly.</p><p>KV: ALRIGHT<br/>
KV: KEEP ME UPDATED</p><p>Hopefully things keep going well for Dave. Karkat doesn’t know what the fuck he’ll do if Strider hurts him again.</p><p>-</p><p>That was part of the deal, right? Dave will continue to keep him updated. </p><p>Later on, Karkat also lets him know that the laptop has been taken care of. Dave tells himself he can forget about it now. It’s taken care of, Alternia will win the lawsuit, and from there they can start to make other moves to destroy Strider Tech, or at least Bro. Then Dave will be out forever.</p><p>After that, the week proceeds as usual. Dave only has internal Strider Tech ongoings thankfully, which is great because he doesn’t want to deal with any other companies right now. </p><p>He doesn’t see or hear from Bro, so he doesn’t message Karkat. </p><p>Even as much as he wants to. </p><p>What would he even say? Does Karkat even want to hear from him otherwise? </p><p>Probably not. This was a deal and it was about the lawsuit. </p><p>Dave wonders if he’s just telling himself that. Maybe he keeps talking himself into excuses to message Karkat and then talking himself out of it, so he doesn’t. </p><p>When his friends message him to ask if he’s back at work, he says yes. They find this concerning of course, to which Dave says that he’s working on it. </p><p>Except… he keeps remembering what Bro said the other day. He seemed pleased with Dave, or at least as pleased with someone as Dave has ever seen him.</p><p>Maybe things will be better now? Should he call all of this off? </p><p>Three weeks pass. </p><p>Dave messages Karkat weekly, just to tell him everything is fine. He keeps tabs on the Strider Tech legal department to monitor how the developing lawsuit with Alternia is going. It’s moving <i>fast</i>. </p><p>Then as Dave suspected, the other shoe finally drops. </p><p>One afternoon, Bro calls Dave back up to his lab. It’ll have been the first time in all these weeks Dave had reason to go up there. </p><p>Dave’s anxiety grows as he ascends up to Bro’s level. </p><p>“What’s up?” Dave says when he walks in. </p><p>Bro is on his computer and ignores Dave. He only points to a file on a lab bench that is closest to Dave. </p><p>“That’s for you,” he says and doesn’t elaborate further. </p><p>Dave prevents any confusion or suspicion from showing through as he walks over the file and flips it open. </p><p>It’s a picture of a man. A business card. A description of his job. </p><p>It’s another mark assigned by Bro. </p><p>“You know what you need to do,” Bro says. </p><p>Dave leaves as fast as he can. He’s already crumbling by the second, he doesn’t even think he can make it to the relative privacy of his office. </p><p>Bro’s tactic is always the same. He finds the sleaziest alpha in a targeted company upper hierarchy, the one that he knows will sleep with a male omega. This is what Bro says makes them weak, it’s the hole in the company that allows Strider Tech to get in. </p><p>Sometimes, it’s a piece of information Bro is after. Other times, he’s just had Dave download entire computers full of information onto compact harddrives. Dave’s always had to bring back <i>something</i>. Once he almost stole someone’s phone because there weren’t better options, but he was able to download a file onto it that allowed Strider Tech entry remotely, and thus less suspicion of Dave’s involvement. </p><p>All of them are awful. They just love that they can come inside an omega and not have to worry about anything. They’re rough, and often don’t care at all about Dave’s pleasure. Once Dave gets them in bed, they just assume everything. </p><p>Well, it’s not that it was always that bad… But coming back to Strider Tech to hand off what he got to Bro, that was where he learned to hate it. </p><p> </p><p>“<i>Omega slut.</i>” </p><p> </p><p>Dave…. Dave can’t do it again. He can’t sleep with someone else, not anymore, not when… Not when he has Karkat. </p><p>Dave’s so distraught he doesn’t even understand what he means by that. He just knows that he can’t. </p><p>He won’t. </p><p>He’s done, he won’t be Bro’s plaything anymore, no matter the cost. He needs out, except he doesn’t know what he is even going to do. He hasn't started planning his escape routes. </p><p>Back in his office, he takes out his phone to message Karkat once more, earlier than he had been planning to that week. His hands are shaking. </p><p> </p><p>DS: the timelines moved up<br/>
DS: i need out<br/>
DS: now</p>
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